Canberra expects the EU to introduce its own 'delay' soon
Australia is watching with keen interest as the EU edges closer to restricting social media for kids as soon as this summer.
Canberra, a pioneer in age-limiting social media, is particularly pleased that Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, adopted its framing of the topic. The EU chief called for a social media “delay” for children – rather than an outright ban – in a speech last month.
Framing social media restrictions as a ban may be politically appealing, “as a policy concept to sell”, Australia’s eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant told Euractiv in an interview. But she said that Australia does not want to cut children off from the internet entirely.
Lawmakers still want teenagers, particularly those from marginalised communities, to maintain access to online social connections.
