Ireland signs agreement to study Australia’s social media ban on teenagers

The Irish and Australian social media regulators have signed a formal agreement around harmonisation of policies and strategies, a week before Australia is due to introduce a social media ban for under-16s

Ireland may be inching closer to tougher social media bans for young teenagers after signing a new pact with Australian authorities, which are about to ban social media for under-16s.

A new ‘memorandum of understanding’ agreement between Coimisiún na Meán and the Australian eSafety Commissioner is a move both regulators say will mean more common policies between the two regimes.

From next week, the Australia regulator, Julie Inman Grant, will be responsible for enforcing a new law that prohibits 13, 14 and 15 year olds from using Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok, X, Reddit, Twitch and Threads, though not Roblox, WhatsApp or YouTube Kids.

Social media firms will face fines of Aus$49.5m (€28m) for breaches of the law, although children and parents will not be prosecuted.

According to the two regulators, the memorandum is to greater harmonise “roles in implementing regulatory frameworks for online safety in Ireland and Australia respectively”.

It will also increase “increase expertise in the area of digital regulation and online safety through exchange of information, data, good practices, methodologies, and of information about technical systems and tools” as well as “the potential for co-operation in the development of policies as well as activities related to online safety education”.

Ireland has been grappling with how to stop under-13s from accessing these social media services in line with current law, tightening enforcement rules in the summer on big tech firms. However, the regulator in charge, Coimisiún na Meán, has not yet brought enforcement action against any social media giants on the issue, despite successive surveys showing social media usage among children as young as eight remains widespread, while usage among Irish 12 year olds is almost universal, kids’ polls say.

“Through this [memorandum], we are championing proactive regulation built on a foundation of international expertise and best practice,” said the Australian eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant.

”Ireland and Australia are particularly aligned around the protection of minors and the successful implementation of age assurance technologies.”

Irish regulators and government officials have not put forward any plans for a ban on under-16s using social media.