Summary
Meta has criticized Australia’s new law banning under-16s from social media, claiming the government rushed it without considering young people’s perspectives or evidence.
The law, approved after a brief inquiry, imposes fines of up to $50 million for non-compliance and has sparked global interest as a potential model for regulating social media.
Supporters argue it protects teens from harmful content, while critics, including human rights groups and mental health advocates, warn it could marginalize youth and ignore the positive impacts of social media.
Enforcement and technical feasibility remain significant concerns.
I’ve said elsewhere that I fully agree that our current version of social media is extremely damaging. We need to make this better, but a ban ultimately does more harm than good. Prohibition wasn’t a good solution to alcohol abuse, and this isn’t a good solution to the harms that happen online.