Let Them Be Kids: Raising social media age on summit agenda

SA Premier Peter Malinauskas and his NSW counterpart will join forces for an Australian-first summit for raising the age at which kids can get social media.

Raising the age at which kids can access social media will be at the top of the agenda of a two-day summit held by the SA and NSW governments.

In a win for News Corp’s Let Them Be Kids campaign, The Advertiser can reveal that SA premier Peter Malinauskas and NSW premier Chris Minns will hold a joint summit probing the harms social media has on young people, and ways to reduce that harm.

Whistleblower Frances Haugen, a former Meta product manager who leaked thousands of documents exposing secrets of the tech behemoth, will address the summit.

Ms Haugen has been pushing for kids to not have access to smartphones until they are 14.

The summit will bring together policymakers in two states, as well as experts, academics, and young people.

Its priorities will include developing a “public health response” to minimising social media harms, and unpacking how social media can fuel extremism and misogyny.

NSW Premier Chris Minns has joined the SA Premier in calling for kids to be older when they get access to social media. Picture: NewsWire

One of the aims for the summit will be exploring ways to ban kids accessing social media before they are 16, as proposed by News Corp’s Let Them Be Kids campaign.

Both premiers have backed banning kids younger than 16 from accessing social media.

Mr Malinauskas has already tasked a former High Court chief justice with examining how kids under 14 could be banned from social media, and how to require parental consent for 14 and 15 year olds.

“We know that social media is causing our children harm, and we’re determined to make a difference,” Mr Malinauskas said.

South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas has asked a former judge to examine options to raise the social media age. Picture: Keryn Stevens

Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen will address the summit. Picture: NCA NewsWire

“This summit will present a significant opportunity for parents to understand the scientific evidence underpinning our decision, and hear ideas on how to improve the wellbeing of our most important resource – our children.’

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also backed a ban in June, following a pledge from Opposition Peter Dutton to impose age restrictions on social media in the first 100 days of a Coalition government.

Mr Minns described the impact of social media on children as a “global unregulated experiment” which was causing an “enormous amount of damage to young people”.

“This really is an opportunity for the NSW and SA Governments to lead the country on this and hear from experts including internationally, as well as young people and the community to look at the impact of social media on our young kids,” he said.

Originally published as Let Them Be Kids: Raising social media age on summit agenda