Australia's under-16 social media ban draws global attention

(Reuters): Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promoted his government's world-first teen social media ban at an event in New York, warning the challenges posed by social media for children was "constantly evolving".

Governments and tech firms are closely watching Australia's effort to become the first country to block the use of social media by those younger than 16, starting from December.

"It isn't foolproof, but it is a crucial step in the right direction," Albanese said in New York on Wednesday at the Protecting Children in the Digital Age event on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, in her speech, said she had been "inspired by Australia's example".

"We in Europe are watching and will be learning from you ... it is up to us to step up for the next generation," she said.

Australia's ban passed into law in November 2024 and aims to delay teens' ability to set up social media accounts from the current age of 13 until the age of 16.

Albanese's centre-left government proposed the law citing research showing harms to mental health from the over-use of social media among young teens, including misinformation, bullying and harmful depictions of body image.

Albanese called his government's efforts a sensible but overdue step to protect children at a critical stage in their life.

"The challenge we face is constantly evolving, and different countries are tackling it in different ways," Albanese said, adding the law would give Australian teens "three more years of being shaped by real-life experience, not algorithms".