Overview
- An expert commission proposed two paths: a legal minimum age for accounts (recommended at 13) or age‑tiered restrictions on specific platform functions such as algorithmic feeds, autoplay and personalized ads.
- Families Minister Karin Prien has publicly backed a legal age threshold while medical societies, a parents’ initiative and anti‑cyberbullying groups press for stricter staged limits up to 16.
- Australia’s under‑16 ban, cited repeatedly in coverage, showed major enforcement gaps when a BMJ study found roughly 85% of affected teens remained active on platforms, prompting Canberra to double maximum fines and expand regulator powers.
- Experts warn that reliable age checks would require identity verification that could end online anonymity and raise privacy and censorship risks, while others say platform design rules are needed to tackle addictive algorithms.
- Political disagreement within the coalition and technical hurdles mean no law is in place yet, leaving families and clinicians urging faster, enforceable measures and broader steps on education and health services.