Australia has planned to establish a minimum age limit for children using social media, potentially setting it between 14 and 16 years.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced this initiative, aiming to reduce children’s screen time and encourage outdoor activities like sports. He described social media as a “scourge” that negatively affects young people’s mental health.

Federal legislation is set to be introduced this year, and while the exact age has not been finalized, Albanese expressed a preference for a threshold of 16 years.

Trials for age verification technologies are scheduled to take place in the coming months, although experts have raised concerns about the reliability and privacy implications of such methods.

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Opposition leader Peter Dutton supported the initiative, emphasizing the urgency of protecting children from social media’s harmful effects.

However, some analysts warn that simply imposing an age limit may not adequately address deeper issues, such as the need for better regulation of social media companies themselves.

Albanese highlighted the expectation of parents for more robust responses to online bullying and harmful content, asserting that social media companies must take responsibility for the impact they have on young users.