Two-thirds of Australians back world-first social media ban for under-16s

Exclusive polling reveals overwhelming public support for banning under-16s from social media, yet three-quarters believe kids will find ways around the groundbreaking restrictions.

Australia’s world-leading social media ban begins on Wednesday. Picture: Dylan Robinson/NCA NewsWire

Two thirds of Australians support the world-leading social media ban, with parents of teens the group most in favour of the incoming laws.

Exclusive polling for this masthead found that of 1244 Australian adults, only seven per cent were strongly against banning under-16s from social media. More than two-thirds of parents support the laws, while just 14 per cent were against it.

From Wednesday, social media platforms will need to take reasonable steps to keep under-16s off their sites under world-first laws inspired by News Corp’s Let Them Be Kids campaign.

According to the polling by Lighthouse, strongest supporters of the laws are parents with children aged 9-12, with 73 per cent of them in favour.

Sixty-two per cent of parents with 13-16 years olds – the cohort directly affected by these changes – support the laws.

Sixty per cent of people said they believe the change will “help keep Australian youth safer online”, 69 per cent agreed “these types of laws are needed to keep up with how fast technology is changing”, while 70 per cent believe “it’s a step in the right direction for improving children’s mental health online”.

Sixty-seven per cent of people agree “the government has a responsibility to step in and legislate on issues like this”, and as many countries look to follow Australia’s lead, 62 per cent of respondents said “this law should be adopted globally”.

Under the laws, the onus is on tech platforms which face fines of up to $49.5 million if they fail to comply. Yet 69 per cent of respondents believe “tech companies will find ways to avoid real change or accountability”.

Three-quarters of respondents believe “kids will always find a way around restrictions like these”, with scepticism high among parents of children aged 13-16.

The government and the eSafety Commission have conceded the laws won’t be perfect, but platforms must take “reasonable steps” to prevent children from having or creating social media accounts and enforce a “waterfall approach” to minimise circumvention.

eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Gant has made it clear to the platforms “it’s on you” to prevent location-based circumvention like VPNs and also age-based circumvention.

“We’ve said we need to continue to see continuous improvement – this is not a one and done thing,” she said.

“I don’t expect every single account to magically disappear on December 10. Some of these very large platforms will take a while to replicate through the system and they won’t get it absolutely right.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has written to Premiers and Chief Ministers, thanking them for their ongoing support of the social media reform.

“While this profound change will require some adjustment in the short term, this is the cultural change Australia needs to deliver greater peace of mind for parents and ensure Australian children have a childhood,” he told them.

Mr Albanese has also recorded a video message to school students, to be played in classrooms this week.

“Make the most of the school holidays coming up. Instead of scrolling on your phone, start a new sport, learn a new instrument, or read a book. And importantly, spend quality time with your friends and family,” he said.

Psychologist Marie Yap said “the good intentions of this legislation really encourage young people to find ways to connect and meet their needs, especially social connection, that are not vulnerable to the addictive impacts that these platforms have on people”.

With 65 per cent of survey respondents believing the law “gives parents more support to set and enforce boundaries”, Dr Yap said it was important for parents to have “open conversations with their child” about the incoming changes.

Meanwhile, Triple P parenting will on Tuesday launch a free new course aimed to equip parents and carers of children under 12 to build healthy device habits.

“Families are desperately seeking practical solutions to protect their kids from cyber-bullying, online predators, and the negative impact on mental health linked to excessive screen use,” country director Carol Markie-Dadds said.

“The solution lies in empowering parents and carers with the evidence-based tools to confidently guide children to safely explore the digital world in a way that suits their own family.

“With the Australian Government moving to delay social media for under-16s, parents and carers need these skills now more than ever to have the confidence to provide preventive digital wellbeing guidance.”

Brisbane mother-of-three Kristen Milhan said the program had helped her.

“The program helped me to have better conversations with my children about how and why they use devices, so I as a parent can encourage the activities they like to do and are beneficial and educational,” she said.