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Australian children under 16 will be subject to a world-first social media ban after the government passed new laws in a whirlwind final sitting day of the year in the Senate.
The landmark restriction, which the crossbench and some opposition MPs slammed as rushed and ill-considered, was one of more than 30 bills passed as senators argued long into the night on the back of a chaotic day of Labor deal-making with the Greens and Coalition.
The bill doesn’t name individual social media platforms but Communications Minister Michelle Rowland has confirmed the laws will “at a minimum” apply to TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, Instagram and X.
Labor senator Jenny McAllister highlighted the risks of algorithms surfacing self-harm, eating disorders and extremist content to young people and said parents were looking for support that they weren’t getting from the platforms themselves.
“It’s impossible, and we accept this, for governments to completely stop young people from accessing harmful products or content but we can help,” she said.
“We can help by asking the social media companies to play their role.”
In a push to pass a raft of new measures on the last day of the parliamentary sitting year, the government tried to roll the social media ban and three hardline migration bills in with a big packet of legislation that wouldn’t be debated.
The heavily criticised move failed but a string of senators showed their frustration at what still ended up being a relatively limited time to study and discuss the landmark changes, particularly given the restrictions don’t take effect for another 12 months.
Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young claimed it was “boomers trying to tell young people how the internet should work”.
“What a sham this is, and this is a piece of legislation that does not do what the government or the leader of the opposition propose that it does,” she said.
“It doesn’t make social media safer. It doesn’t make children and young people safer online.
“It’s a sham, but the whole process has been a sham. Rush through limited inquiry, three hours of inquiry, no ability for the bureaucrats to actually answer questions properly, all under the guise that this was urgent and needed to be done, but it doesn’t even take place for another 12 months.
The Coalition backed the bill after making some changes it said would prevent anyone from being forced to use government identification documents or digital ID to prove their age, a major concern given the recent spate of data leaks exposing Australians’ personal information.
Coalition education spokeswoman Sarah Henderson said the new restrictions were “absolutely critical” given the “very profound mental health concerns that so many young people are suffering as a result of social media”.
She called out the bravery of parents such as Kelly O’Brien and Mat Howard, who she met with after their 12-year-old daughter Charlotte O’Brien took her own life following years of relentless school bullying, much of which took place online.
“Her message to her mum and dad was that she wanted them to raise awareness about what she had endured, and she wanted to see change,” Henderson said.
“And I cannot tell you how humbling it is to meet with parents like Matt and Kelly and listen to their story and listen to their mission.
“And as I say, I think it is absolutely incumbent on this parliament to do the right thing.”
Despite the opposition’s support, Coalition senators Matt Canavan and Alex Antic crossed the floor to vote against the laws and harshly criticised the Labor government for their “rushed” implementation.
“I think from the debate, it’s very clear we are not sure yet whether this hasty, blunt attempt will do anything to reduce the social harms to children of social media,” Canavan said.
“But what we do know for sure is that we have successfully disillusioned a whole generation of Australians with Australian politics.
“A whole generation of Australians have watched this saga, this sordid saga, over the past week, play out and be completely, completely disillusioned with their democratic process that they should have an involvement in, that we’ve completely denied them their voice.”
The legislation eventually passed after 11pm.
Tech companies, which had pushed for the laws to be delayed at least until after a trial of age-assurance technology was finished, will have a year to implement any required changes.
The Coalition also sided with the government on three hardline migration bills, while the Greens backed Labor’s Build to Rent housing package and Reserve Bank reforms in return for a range of concessions including $500 million in energy-efficient upgrades for social homes.
If you or someone you know needs support, help is available 24/7.
Call Lifeline on 13 11 14, or Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800.
