South Australia to Ban Social Media for Under 14s, Sets High Bar for National Regulations

In a decisive move, the South Australian government has proposed a ban on social media use for children under 14, requiring parental consent for those aged 14 and 15.

Premier Peter Malinauskas insists on severe consequences for non-compliant social media platforms, citing the adverse impact of online platforms on young people.

This controversial law mirrors recent regulations in U.S states Florida and Texas, and Spain, all of which have raised the bar on age restrictions for social media use. Despite backlash from various quarters who point to a lack of strong evidence for the harm caused by social media, the proposed ban seems determined to impose a “duty of care” on social media platforms, compelling them to control underage access.

However, the question remains on how effectively these platforms can enforce age verification and parental consent mechanisms without infringing privacy rights. Moreover, the world waits to see how leading social media companies will react to this aggressive move to regulate online access.

- CyberBeat