Albanese calls on states to decide the age of social media ban

Anthony Albanese has issued a national call to arms — asking his state premiers to help decide the age for a kids social media ban.

Anthony Albanese has written to premiers and chief ministers around the country to volunteer the age at which Australian children should be allowed to use social media platforms.

The Prime Minister is calling on each state to offer a potential age limit, their views on parental consent, and evidence on the success of state-based phone bans as the government eyes bringing in new social media laws by the end of the year.

The ban – one of the strongest anti-social media moves internationally – has come off the back of The Daily Telegraph’s Let Them Be Kids campaign.

“We know social media is doing social harm. We need to do everything we can to keep our kids safe and to help them grow up happy, healthy and confident,” Mr Albanese said.

“We want to see kids off their devices and onto footy fields and netball courts.

“Kids should be having real experiences with real people.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has asked premiers and chief ministers around the country to volunteer the age at which Australian children should be allowed to use social media platforms. Picture: NewsWire/David Beach

Each state leader will also have to provide what support they have available locally to help kids connect without social media when the ban goes ahead – especially for vulnerable groups like LGBTIQA+, culturally and linguistically diverse, Indigenous and rural children.

“Legislating a minimum age for social media access is about protecting young people, not punishing or isolating them. Protecting children from harm is a shared responsibility across all governments, as well as industry, civil society and communities,” Mr Albanese said.

The state submissions will also include any scenarios where children should be exempt from the ban and suggestions on how to regulate younger users who might already have social media accounts before a ban for their age group comes in.

NSW Premier Chris Minns is expected to consider between 14 and 16 years old as the appropriate ages for a ban but the government’s social media summit on October 10 will inform the state’s submission to Canberra.

As revealed by the Telegraph, almost 90 per cent of 21,000 parents surveyed by the state government agree with extending the ban to 16-year-olds.

NSW Premier Chris Minn. Picture: NewsWire/John Appleyard

On Friday, Mr Minns said he would not rule out state legislation if the federal laws are slow to materialise but would prefer a uniform national approach.

“We have to give credit to the feds here, they’ve indicated they are prepared to move. They want a national age restriction when it comes to social media and that’s a lot better than a state by state haphazard approach,” he said.

Mr Minns said he was hopeful next week’s social media summit would help support parents in keeping their kids safe online.

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Originally published as Albanese calls on states to decide the age of social media ban