Meta’s ‘teen accounts’ move won’t change age restrictions plan, government says

The federal government has welcomed Meta’s move to add stronger protections for underage Instagram users, but says the changes will not change its plan to introduce legislation to impose age restrictions on social media this year. The social media behemoth announced on Tuesday it was introducing “Instagram Teen Accounts” that would automatically apply built-in protections for users under 16. Protections will include restrictions on who can contact users and what users can see, with parental authorisation for any changes. Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said on Wednesday that the government “welcomed” the move. “Any development that genuinely goes toward improving the safety of users on social media is welcomed by the government,” Ms Rowland told reporters in Sydney. “We all know that everyone has a role to play here -- governments, industry and civil society. “The Albanese government has been crystal clear. The industry needs to do more and today’s announcement shows that they can do more.” The Instagram changes will be first rolled out in the US, UK, Canada and Australia within 60 days, where social platforms are hardest pressed to bolster protections. Labor MP Andrew Charlton says the government “needs to act” on social media and its impact on young people. They will also be made in Europe later in the year and more broadly around the world from January next year. In her remarks on Wednesday, the communications minister renewed the government’s pledge last week to legislate mandatory age restrictions before the next election, but said the government was still mulling over an age. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has vowed to limit social media to persons 16 and older vowed within 100 days if the Coalition wins the next election.The Prime Minister has also backed that age. Ms Rowland said two of three stages of the age assurance testing, which maps out how age restrictions would actually work, were nearly complete. “We have a tender that is out there now for the third stage,” she said. “We are dealing with live testing of access to social media and other restricted content by young people. “There’s ethics involved here, there’s human rights issues involved here, and we need to ensure that all of those requirements are satisfied.” Ms Rowland said she knew there was a “variety of opinions” on what the age should be. The government’s proposal comes amid widespread concerns from mental health professionals and parents alike about effects of social platforms on young people. It is part of a broader package of legislation targeting online harms, including the spread of misinformation across social media.