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Coverage dated November 27, 2024 to December 4, 2024

Australia is banning social media for people under 16. Could this work elsewhere — or even there?

Headline from Anchorage Daily News, from the development of Dec 4, 2024

Newest development Dec 5, 2024 · 2 reportsBanning social media — Australia’s social experiment will be watched closely

Is Australia’s initiative a good, long-time-coming development that will protect the vulnerable, or could it become a well-meaning experiment with unintended consequences?

Anchorage Daily News's own description from its feed. We collect headlines and these descriptions, not full articles; read the original reporting below.

Earlier updates in this story

Developments in this update

5 dated developments, oldest first, newest marked. Each is named by one outlet's own headline; open its reports to see every outlet that covered it.

  1. Teen news boss criticises Australian social media ban

    Headline from Digital Journal ·

  2. Most in Germany want Australia-style social media ban: poll – DW

    Headline from Deutsche Welle ·

  3. Under-16 social media ban supported by 77% as economic sentiment lifts

    Headline from The Conversation US ·

  4. Names this update

    Australia is banning social media for people under 16. Could this work elsewhere — or even there?

    Headline from Anchorage Daily News ·

  5. Newest

    Banning social media — Australia’s social experiment will be watched closely

    Headline from Daily Hampshire Gazette ·

Read the reports

Reports & sources

65 articles, oldest first.

  1. The Republic

    A social media ban for under-16s passes the Australian Senate and will soon be a world-first law (opens The Republic)

    Published

    The Republic's feed description

    MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — A social media ban for children under 16 passed the Australian Senate Thursday and will soon become a world-first law. The law will make platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram liable for fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars ($33 mi…

  2. Engadget

    Australia is one step away from banning social media for under 16s (opens Engadget)

    Published

    Engadget's feed description

    Australia is set to ban under 16s from using social media services after the Senate passed legislation. However, the effectiveness of the law and the platforms it will actually impact have yet to be determined.

  3. NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

    Australian Senate passes landmark social media ban for children under 16 (opens NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth)

    Published

    NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth's feed description

    The Australian Senate has passed a social media ban for children under 16 years old that will soon become a world-first law.

  4. Minneapolis Star Tribune

    Australian Parliament bans social media for under-16s with world-first law (opens Minneapolis Star Tribune)

    Published

    Minneapolis Star Tribune's feed description

    A social media ban for children under 16 passed the Australian Parliament on Friday in a world-first law.

  5. Deutsche Welle

    Australia approves ban on social media for under-16s – DW (opens Deutsche Welle)

    Published

    Deutsche Welle's feed description

    The landmark Social Media Minimum Age bill sets Australia up as a test case for a growing number of governments.

  6. Deadline

    Strewth! Australia To Ban Under-16s From Using Social Media (opens Deadline)

    Published

    Deadline's feed description

    Australia will become the first country in the world to outlaw social media use among under-16s.

  7. New York Times

    Australia Bans Social Media for Everyone Under 16 (opens New York Times)

    Published

    New York Times's feed description

    The law sets a minimum age for users of platforms like TikTok, Instagram and X. How the restriction will be enforced online remains an open question.

  8. Fortune

    Australia passes tough social media ban for kids under 16 with $32 million fines for platforms that don’t comply (opens Fortune)

    Published

    Fortune's feed description

    With $32 million fines for platforms that don’t comply

  9. New York Times

    What to Know About Australia’s Social Media Ban for Children Under 16 (opens New York Times)

    Published

    New York Times's feed description

    Critics say big questions remain not only about how the new law will be enforced, but also about whether the ban will really protect young people.

  10. Philadelphia Inquirer

    A social media ban for those under 16 years old passed the Australian Senate and will soon be a world-first law (opens Philadelphia Inquirer)

    Published

    Philadelphia Inquirer's feed description

    The Senate passed the bill 34 votes to 19. The House of Representatives on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved the legislation by 102 votes to 13.

  11. NBC News

    Australia passes landmark social media ban for children under 16 (opens NBC News)

    Published

    NBC News's feed description

    Australian lawmakers on Thursday approved a landmark ban on social media for children under 16, in some of the world’s toughest such controls.

  12. Forbes

    No Social Media For Anyone Under 16: What To Know About Australia’s New Ban (opens Forbes)

    Published

    Forbes's feed description

    The ban will give social media companies one year to determine how to best implement the age limit and prevent teens and under from having accounts.

  13. Time

    Social Media Ban for Under-16s Passes Australian Senate (opens Time)

    Published

    Time's feed description

    The law will make platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, X, and Instagram liable for fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars.

  14. Fox5 Atlanta

    Australia is about to ban social media for anyone under 16; how it will work (opens Fox5 Atlanta)

    Published

    Fox5 Atlanta's feed description

    The law would fine social media platforms like TikTok, Facebook, X, and Instagram for failing to stop children younger than 16 years old from having accounts.

  15. The Guardian

    Australia passes world-first law banning under-16s from social media despite safety concerns (opens The Guardian)

    Published

    The Guardian's feed description

    Bill passes amid warning that process has been rushed and that a ban could push teenagers towards the dark web or into isolation

  16. Anchorage Daily News

    Social media ban for under-16s passes Australian Senate and will soon be a world-first law (opens Anchorage Daily News)

    Published

    Anchorage Daily News's feed description

    The law will make platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram liable for fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars for systemic failures to prevent children younger than 16 from holding accounts.

  17. The Hill

    Australia passes first-ever social media ban for people under 16 (opens The Hill)

    Published

    The Hill's feed description

    Australia has passed a first-ever social media ban for youth, barring children under the age of 16 from using the platforms. The Australian Senate passed the legislation Thursday night with bipartisan backing.

  18. Digital Journal

    Australia passes landmark social media ban for under 16s (opens Digital Journal)

    Published

    Digital Journal's feed description

    Australian lawmakers have prohibited individuals under 16 from using social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X.

  19. New York Post

    Australia passes first-ever social media ban for children under 16 (opens New York Post)

    Published

    New York Post's feed description

    A social media ban for children under 16 passed the Australian Senate Thursday and will soon become a world-first law.

  20. Al Jazeera

    Australia passes legislation banning under-16s from social media (opens Al Jazeera)

    Published

    Al Jazeera's feed description

    Social media companies that do not enforce the ban could receive fines of up to AUS$50 million (US$32.5m).

  21. Forbes

    Australia’s Social Media Ban: Protection Or Overreach? What You Must Know (opens Forbes)

    Published

    Forbes's feed description

    Is Australia’s bold social media ban to protect kids the right move? As a marketer inspired by young innovators, I question the risks of digital isolation.

  22. CNN

    Tech companies put on notice as Australia passes world-first social media ban for under-16s (opens CNN)

    Published

    CNN's feed description

    Australia’s parliament has passed a law banning social media for children under 16, putting tech companies on notice to tighten security before a cut-off date that’s yet to be set.

  23. Insider

    Australia passed a law banning social media for kids under 16. Tech companies will need creative solutions to avoid $32 million fines. (opens Insider)

    Published

    Insider's feed description

    Australia voted to ban social media for kids under 16. But how tech companies should comply with the new law remains a big question.

  24. Washington Examiner

    Under-16s social media ban passes Australian Senate, will soon be world-first law (opens Washington Examiner)

    Published

    Washington Examiner's feed description

    Social media platforms will have one year to work out how they can implement the ban for children under 16 before Australia enforces penalties.

  25. Latin Times

    Historic Law Banning All Children from Using Social Media Approved in Australia (opens Latin Times)

    Published

    Latin Times's feed description

    Australia's Senate passed legislation banning children under the age of 16 from using social media, marking the country as the nation with the world's strictest rules on the matter.

Showing the first 25 of 51 headlines. ·

Identical headlines usually mean shared wire copy. They are counted as separate articles but are not independent confirmation.

Australia is banning social media for people under 16. Could this work elsewhere — or even there? | Since Then