June 26, 2026
Australia's prime minister vowed on Friday to introduce bullet-proof laws supporting a social media ban for under-16s as the government prepares legal action against platforms amid a steady stream of evidence that the ban has had little impact on teen use.
The country's groundbreaking six-month-old experiment is being closely watched by many nations seeking to emulate it due to concerns about the impact of social media on youth mental and physical health.
Britain this month said it planned restrictions that go further as gaming and live-streaming platforms will also be affected.
The Australian government plans to stress-test the law which bans platforms like Meta's Instagram and Google's YouTube from giving under-16s accounts.
