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Analysis and Technology

Australia wants to ban social media for under-16s, but it won't work

Attempts to prevent Australian children from accessing social media are likely to fail, and could do more harm than good

By James Woodford

15 November 2024

Planned legislation could see Australian teenagers banned from all of these apps

Shutterstock/Viktollio

A plan to ban all Australian children under 16 from social media is unworkable, unenforceable and ultimately won’t help the people it aims to protect, experts have told New Scientist.

While social media platforms are banned outright in some authoritarian regimes, no democratic country has gone as far as the proposal from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in completely restricting them for under-16s.

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