State government review to look at banning kids from social media

The Premier has commissioned a review to ban kids from social media as growing evidence shows how the platforms negatively affect children.

Children under the age of 14 will be banned from holding social media accounts such as Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, Instagram and X under Australia-first legislation that could be proposed by Premier Peter Malinauskas.

Mr Malinauskas said he was motivated by growing evidence that social media is harming children’s mental health.

“There has been a massive spike in mental health issues globally, and it seems to coincide at the exact same time that we saw the proliferation of social media on handheld devices with front facing cameras and I don’t think that’s a coincidence,’’ he said.

Mr Malinauskas, a father-of-four, said he was concerned about the world his children were growing up in.

The Premier said as parents, he and his wife Annabel were concerned about the effects of social media on children. Picture: Instagram

“As a parent, this is something that worries us and our eldest has just turned nine,’’ he said. “The idea that such a young mind could be exposed to excessive adult themes when they’re just understanding their place in the world is concerning.’’

Mr Malinauskas has appointed Robert French, former Chief Justice of the High Court, to examine whether it’s feasible for the state government to ban children under 14 from holding social media accounts and for parental consent to be given for children who are 14 and 15.

Mr French will examine legislative, technological and constitutional issues that could arise from such a ban.

Currently, social media platforms including TikTok, X, Snapchat, Facebook and Instagram require users to be at least 13 to start an account, but the limit is not well-policed and it is believed many children younger than the minimum age have signed up.

“I don’t think there’s much evidence of robust enforcement or application and age verification on the internet is tricky. But we’re going to have to crack this nut,’’ Mr Malinauskas said.

It is not known how many children under 14 have social media accounts, but a 2021 report by the eSafety commissioner found that 12-13 year olds used an average of 3.1 social media services. It found 42 per cent of 12-13 year olds used Facebook, 39 per cent used Instagram, 26 per cent were on Snapchat and 66 per cent on YouTube.

It is believed those numbers would have grown since 2021, in part driven by habits learned during Covid lockdowns.

The Premier plans to introduce legislation that would ban children under the age of 14 from holding social media accounts. Picture: Kelly Barnes

Mr Malinauskas said while SA would be the first state in Australia to implement such a ban, there was a growing push worldwide to crack down on social media’s influence on children.

Last month, former Republican presidential candidate and Florida governor Ron De Santis signed a law banning under-14s from social media platforms from January 1 next year. The new Florida law will require the platforms to delete all existing accounts for the under 14s as well and Mr Malinauskas said that would also be considered in SA.

Spain has also instituted a 14-year-old minimum age limit for a social media account.

Mr Malinauskas said he had not set a deadline for Mr French to finish his report but he said he was hopeful of bringing the legislation to parliament before the next state election in March 2026.