Australia's social media ban for children under 16 moves closer to becoming law

Australia's social media ban for children under 16 has come a step closer to becoming law as it passes the House of Representatives.

Transcript

00:00Wayne Holdsworth became an advocate for banning Australian children younger than 16 from social

00:06media. That is because last year, his 17-year-old son, Mac, committed suicide after falling

00:12victim to an online sextortion scam. A 47-year-old man from Sydney, posing as an 18-year-old

00:18girl, demanded money for an intimate image that the boy had shared. Since then, the grieving

00:24father has taken his tragic story to schools in the country and warned students of the

00:29risks of social media.

00:51But not all parents, lawmakers or experts are convinced that banning young children

00:56from social media is the answer.

01:21such as X and Instagram announced that they find the ban problematic. Australia's House

01:26of Representatives on Wednesday voted overwhelmingly in favour of the ban and the Senate is expected

01:31to make it law soon. Once it enters into force, even parental consent will not be able to

01:37override the ban.