Australia’s under-16 social media ban

From 10 December, Australian children under 16 will be banned from most social media platforms including TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat.

The ban is designed to protect teenagers from harmful content and other risks such as cyberbullying and grooming. Surveys suggest the legislation is popular with many parents, but it has been challenged by social media companies and some young campaigners have argued it disregards children’s rights.

In our conversations we bring together two families in New South Wales who are on opposite sides of the debate. We also hear from three young Australians with tens of thousands of social media followers, including Ella.

“It’s not our fault the harmful content’s there, it’s the apps’,” Ella tells us. “So why are we being the ones removed? We’ll still find ways of getting to that harmful content, no matter the ban or no ban – it’s the content that needs to be removed, not us.”

Presenter: Luke Jones
BBC producers: Isabella Bull and Angela Sheeran
Boffin Media producer: Richard Hollingham
Editor: Arja Haikonen and Harriet Oliver

An EcoAudio certified Boffin Media production in partnership with the OS team.

(Photo: Courtney from New South Wales with her son Kyan, who’s 13. He will be affected by the ban. Credit: Courtney)