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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Tuesday that his government is planning to set a minimum age limit, likely between 14 and 16, for children to use social media.
He told Australia Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) the following in a recent interview:
“I want to see kids off their devices and onto the footy fields and the swimming pools and the tennis courts. We want them to have real experiences with real people because we know that social media is causing social harm… Parents are worried sick about this. We know they’re working without a map. No generation has faced this challenge before.”
Albanese expressed a preference for a minimum age higher than 16. His government plans to conduct “age verification” trials to test censorship technology and determine the ideal minimum age for social media use.
“What we’re looking at is how you deliver it,” said Albanese. “We know that it’s not simple and it’s not easy. Otherwise, governments would have responded before.”
Prime Minister Albanese emphasized the need for national policies to avoid varying state regulations on social media age limits. He stated that state and territorial governments would be consulted before introducing new laws next year. South Australia has already proposed fines for social media companies that allow users under 14.
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