Australian states and territories have announced to stand united with country’s plan to ban social media use for children under the age of 16.
On Thursday, November 7, the Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, made an announcement where he stated that the government is planning to introduce “world-leading” legislation to ban the social media use for children younger than 16.
In his news conference, Albanese said that social media is affecting the kids in a negative way which is harmful for them, adding, “This one is for the moms and dads... They, like me, are worried sick about the safety of our kids online. I want Australian families to know that the government has your back.”
On Friday, November 8, the provinces of Australia unanimously backed the plan in a virtual meeting with the Prime Minister, reported AP News.
The leaders of eight Australian states, in the meeting, discussed the age limit, considering options from 14 to 16.
While one of the states, Tasmania, preferred 14 to be the right age, the state decided to go for age 16 in the interests of achieving national uniformity, said Albanese.
The legislation is set to be introduced in the Australian Parliament in about two weeks, after which the age ban will come into effect a year after the law passes.
