Recently, you might have seen posts on social media or stories in the media about a new bill that has passed parliament which will restrict young people under the age of 16 from accessing social networking sites.
If you’re under the age of 16 you might be feeling upset, angry, confused, and worried about how this might affect you. It’s totally okay to be feeling these emotions with so much uncertainty.
We thought we’d put together a post about what this means and provide a space to chat about your thoughts and feelings about it.
What does the new law mean?
The bill that has passed parliament will change social media access for young people under 16.
If you are under the age of 16, you won’t be able to have an account on social media platforms from late 2025. At that time, if you are under 16 and currently have a social media account you will be removed from the platforms too.
Details about the new laws are still being decided and this process will take 12 months from November 2024. For example, there are many decisions still to be made about the age verification technology which will enforce these age restrictions and which platforms or services might be exempted.
What you might be wondering
What is a Bill? How was this decided?
A Bill is a proposal from the government to create a new law or to make changes to an existing law. Bills have to be passed by both Houses in Parliament and then finally signed by the Governor-General to become an “Act of Parliament” and be enforceable as a law.
The Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024, amends the Online Safety Act 2021 to introduce an obligation on some social media platforms to prevent people under 16 years from having an account.
Is it for all social media platforms?
The social media ban is expected to include Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and X (previously known as Twitter). At this stage we don’t know what platforms will and won't be affected, although we do know that some gaming, messaging, education and health platforms will be exempt from the ban, as are sites that you can access without an account, meaning YouTube is likely to be exempt.
Could I get in trouble for breaking this rule? How will they enforce this?
There will be no penalties for young people or their parents and carers, however there will be penalties for social media companies who do not take reasonable steps to prevent young people under 16 from accessing their platforms.
The eSafety Commissioner will need to write guidelines around what these reasonable steps are, and specify other details (e.g., age verification processes) which are not included in the Bill.
What is ReachOut’s role in all of this? What do we think of the Bill?
When an issue needs further investigation, it can be referred to a “Parliamentary Committee”, which allows the Parliament to explore issues and to consult with experts and the public. ReachOut and ReachOut Youth Advocates provided submissions to the Joint Select Committee on Social Media and Australian Society which outlined why we think a ban alone will not make social media safe for young people and a range of alternate recommendations. We relied not only on experts and research but also the lived experience stories of young people for this work.
We also made a brief submission to a subsequent brief Senate Committee inquiry into the provisions of the Bill itself.
Now that age restrictions for social media will go ahead, there is still scope for ReachOut and the mental health sector to work with the government to ensure that some of our recommendations are implemented too such as mandating safety by design principles for platforms, more digital literacy education and giving social media users greater control over algorithms.
Will I still be able to use the Online Community?
The minister for Communications has confirmed that ReachOut Services including the Online Community and PeerChat are exempt. This means that the ReachOut Online Community will still be available for Australians aged between 14 and 16, and up to 25.
What if I don’t have other ways of connecting with people? What if I can’t talk to my friends online anymore?
Though things aren’t certain at this point, it is likely that messaging apps and online gaming platforms will still be able to be accessible by young people who are under 16. Importantly, mental health services are also exempt from the restrictions. That means that you’ll still be able to access support from places like ReachOut, eheadspace, and Kids Helpline.
We still have at least a year before the change is set to be enforced, so there’s no rush to have all the answers right now and you will still be able to use the social media platforms you are currently using until then.
