A recent Australian social media ban might impact the tech industry more than we think. The recent measure, which will level fines against companies like Meta and X for violations, impacts anyone 16 years of age and younger.
Tech companies have a year to figure out how to protect underage users from accessing the app, beyond the nominal measures they use today.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese spoke to reporters and said: “Platforms now have a social responsibility to ensure the safety of our kids is a priority for them.”
The Senate passed the law in Australia on Thursday this last week with 34 in favor and 19 against. The House passed the law with 102 “yes” votes to just 13 against.
The ripple effects of these bans (like the one for TikTok) are clear: Social media companies will bear the burden for ensuring that underage users need more than an email and the ability to check a box saying they are over a certain age limit to access the apps.
Yet, that’s not even the biggest takeaway of this new social media ban.
Apart from the technological challenges, social media companies will need to grapple with how the ban could lead to further legal action related to how social media impacts mental health.
How the Australian social media ban addresses teen mental health
One of the most recent reports explains how social media can impact teenagers. While the findings did mention a few benefits such as increased socialization, there’s clear evidence that social media can cause stress and mental health issues for teens. Excessive use (about three hours a day) can lead to low self-esteem, for example.
An even more alarming stat has to do with teens feeling depressed. A recent study found that 40% of teens who use social media struggle with feelings of sadness. Even worse, the same study found that teenage girls are twice as likely as boys to have suicidal thoughts if they are frequent social media users and are also more likely to be bullied in school and online.
Another finding has to do with obsessive social media use which has led to tech addiction. It’s becoming more common, especially among teens. The Australian social media ban is obviously a reaction to all of these reports, and addresses a concern that there are inadequate age-gating systems.
Has the social media ban taken things too far?
A good question to ask at this juncture is whether leveling fines against the tech companies is the best course of action.
Some experts even question whether the studies about mental health are accurate or if they can be proven for the general populace, outside of those surveyed. And, while the Australian social media ban is one of the most far-reaching measures we’ve seen so far, enforcement is going to be a challenge. Short of requiring that a teen scan their identification and submit it for inspection, age-gating is difficult because there’s no way to prove whether the teen has found a workaround.
It’s thorny because, holding the social media companies liable in these cases means there has to be some way to prove the technology is faulty or flawed.
While we can all agree that excessive social media use is not good for anyone in all age groups, the real impact of this Australian social media ban might be further discussion and debate about how to handle the issue for everyone.
