Google and Meta Call for Delay on Australia’s Social Media Ban for Children Under 16

Google and Meta have urged the Australian government to delay a proposed bill banning most social media use for children under 16, citing the need for more time to assess its impact.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's government aims to pass the bill, among the world's strictest controls on children's social media use, by Thursday, the end of the parliamentary year.

Introduced last week, the bill allowed just one day for public submissions. In their responses, Google and Meta recommended waiting for the results of an ongoing age-verification trial before proceeding.

The proposed system could involve biometrics or government-issued IDs to enforce the age restriction.

The law would require social media platforms—not parents or children—to implement age-verification measures, with potential fines of up to A$49.5 million ($32 million) for systemic non-compliance.