An Australian Senate committee endorsed legislation Tuesday to ban social media access for children under 16, while recommending against forcing users to submit passports or other personal identification for age verification.
The government plans to test an age-verification system potentially using biometrics or government identification, representing some of the world’s strictest social media controls. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s Labor government aims to pass the bill by Thursday’s end of the parliamentary year, with broad opposition party support.
The Senate’s environment and communications legislation committee said in its Tuesday report that platforms “must set out alternative methods for assuring age as reasonable steps with consideration given to the age assurance trial.” The communications minister must submit a progress report on the age verification trial by September 30, 2025.
Committee Chair Senator Karen Grogan emphasized youth involvement in implementation: “Young people, and in particular diverse cohorts, must be at the centre of the conversation as an age restriction is implemented to ensure there are constructive pathways for connection.”
The proposed legislation would require social media platforms to implement reasonable age-verification measures or face fines up to A$49.5 million ($32 million) for systemic violations. Major platforms have opposed the rapid timeline, with Google, Meta, TikTok, and X all expressing concerns through submissions.
Some independent lawmakers have criticized the government’s accelerated timeline, noting the bill was introduced last Thursday, with submissions closing Friday and a brief hearing Monday.
