Culturally diverse teens greatly benefit from social media – banning it would cause harm

There is currently a bipartisan push from state and federal governments to introduce laws in Australia banning young people under 16 from accessing social media platforms. Politicians are citing fears that minors are exposed to harmful or inappropriate content online.

The proposed reform has been accompanied by federal government plans to pilot “age assurance” technologies. Proposed tools for age verification range from uploading ID documents to the use of biometric face-scanning technologies. Most of these methods are fraught with problems, including privacy risks.

Research from overseas has already raised concerns about the potential harms of introducing a social media ban. Australian research has also pointed out how essential social media is for young people’s fundamental right to access information and participate in society.

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