Some US Republicans and Trump allies want children under 16 to be banned from social media, following Australia’s new law. Senator Katie Britt criticized
Congress for not acting sooner and praised Australia’s law, which blocks kids from platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat. Lawmakers say Big Tech’s influence has allowed harmful content to reach children, and they aim to introduce stricter rules to protect young users, as per Daily Beast report. Australia’s new rule covers 10 major social media platforms, including Instagram, Threads, Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, X, and YouTube. These companies must delete accounts belonging to users under 16 and stop them from creating new ones. If they fail to do this, they face fines of up to $32.8 million.
What Are US Lawmakers Proposing?
Senator Ted Cruz co-sponsored the bipartisan ‘Kids Off Social Media Act,’ which seeks to ban children under 13 from social media accounts, regardless of parental consent. The bill also limits algorithms for users under 17.
In the House, the Kids Online Safety Act would allow children and parents to disable addictive features like infinite scroll, autoplay, and algorithmic recommendations.
Supporters say social media exposes children to online predators, videos promoting self-harm, and content that harms self-esteem. Senator Cruz said many families have suffered from Big Tech’s failure to manage these risks.
Will The US Follow Australia?
Ahead of 2028 elections, Democratic presidential hopeful Rahm Emanuel supports restricting social media for children under 16, citing addictive features and risks to young users.
Tech leaders, including Elon Musk, have opposed such bans. Lawmakers continue to debate how to balance protection and personal freedoms while keeping children safe online.
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the law will “change lives for Australian kids” and provide peace of mind for parents. He said that if Australia can implement such reforms, other countries, including the US, should consider similar steps to protect children.
