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Australia’s social media ban for youth below 16: A simplistic solution to a complex issue?

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Pedestrians walk past two women sitting on a bench looking at their phone in central Sydney on November 7, 2024. Australia will move to pass new laws banning children under 16 from social media, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said, vowing to crack down on tech giants failing to protect vulnerable users. (Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP)

The Australian government’s legislation allows platforms to decide how to impose the ban, but says they must have “some form of age assurance” system for those who create and hold accounts.

PHOTO: AFP

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- When the second of his three children turned 11 recently and received a smartphone as a birthday present, Sydney resident Jason Wong encouraged her to use it safely, knowing first-hand about the dangers she could now face.

Seven years ago, Mr Wong noticed that his oldest daughter, who was then also 11, looked a little “off” and so he asked whether anything was wrong. It turned out that weeks earlier she had experienced cyber bullying in a chat group.

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