National cabinet agrees to social media ban for under 16s

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese addressed reporters on Friday morning to confirm that the legislation would be introduced in Federal Parliament later this month, after agreement from national leaders.

"We had a really good, constructive discussion about what the details of what the legislation will look like," Mr Albanese said.

"Social media is doing social harm to our young Australians, and I am calling time on it.

"The safety and mental health of our young people has to be a priority, and my government will do all that we can to protect our young Australians but also to provide support for parents and teachers who are dealing with these issues."

Mr Albanese said this would not solve all of the problems, but would send "a social message" on the issue.

While Tasmania would have preferred the age of 14, they did not want to bar the way for a uniform approach.

The new rules, expected to apply to YouTube in addition to Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, would commence 12 months after the bill's passage, to allow the government's age assurance trial to be completed.

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The onus will be on social media companies to prevent children under 16 from opening accounts, rather than parents and children themselves.

There will be a provision in the legislation which allows it to be reviewed after two years.

The eSafety Commission has approached the market for a provider to demonstrate technology which can test the age of children who wish to create accounts on social media.

The trial, which received $6.5 million in funding in the May 2024 budget, will inform future decisions by the government around implementing age assurance technologies.