Fresh push to tighten Australia’s teen social media restrictions

The push is on for Australia to expand its world-first social media ban with new layers mirroring those announced in the United States, which will see under 18s blocked from platforms during the night.

In a global tipping point, online titan Meta has agreed to regulate access to its Instagram and Facebook content, in America’s first broadscale attempt at a social media ban.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Meta’s $23 billion settlement brings strict teen limits

New rules, to be rolled out within months, will see most Americans under the age of 18 hit with a strict set of measures including a daily limit of two hours on the platforms, a new Night Mode which blocks access from 12am until 6am, and a School Mode which mutes notifications from 8am to 3pm.

Teens will no longer be able to see “likes” on posts while cosmetic filters to alter appearance will be banned. Other changes will let teens opt out of Meta’s algorithms and disable autoplay features for video posts.

However, parents will have the power to opt youngsters out of the regime.

The changes are part of Meta’s $23 billion settlement in a blockbuster lawsuit brought by 29 American states, where the firm was accused of hooking in minors, harvesting their data and duping the general public. Hearings for the case began last week and, after explosive evidence from former staff, Meta moved to shut it down.

The settlement money will be used to fund mental health programs, digital counsellors and after school activities for American children.

“A milestone moment, a watershed moment,” declared California’s Rob Bonta.

“These are significant changes that will keep your kids and mine safer,” said Kentucky’s Russell Coleman.

“What we have now, for the first time, is alignment between one of the major social media platforms and regulators from all over the country about how to deal with this issue,” said the company’s Chief Legal Officer, CJ Mahoney.

While the jury is still out on whether the bans will work, Professor Stavros Gadinis from the University of California thinks they’re critical turning point, saying: “Meta’s board is put on notice that this is a critical risk to the company that it needs to oversee.”

Analysts say Meta’s leadership has likely moved first to shape the bans, before regulators did it for them, with the company spooked by Australia’s social embargo for under 16s, which is catching on around the world.

There’s now a push to bolster the Australian laws, with the Federal Opposition wanting more control for parents on what children can and can’t see.