How to protect minors online in the age of social networks? Australia has chosen the most direct route: ban. Since 2025 no more TikTok, Instagram or other platforms for under 16s. A decision that is causing discussion and dividing global public opinion, between those who applaud the protection of the youngest and those who fear consequences worse than the disease they are trying to cure.
Australia's crackdown on minors online
The news went around the world like a viral meme: the Australian Senate has approved a law that will prohibit the use of social media to minors under 16. A drastic move, which includes heavy fines for tech giants who do not comply: up to 30 million euros. A bit like when our parents hid the TV remote control, only this time it's on a national scale.
Social media platforms will have to implement age verification systems by the end of 2025. This is no small task, considering that it is still unclear which platforms will be affected and how the ban will be applied in practice. The Australian decision, however, is not a bolt from the blue: it comes after years of debate on the protection of minors online and on their physical and mental well-being in the digital age.
The debate spreads to the world
It's not just Australians who want to limit young people's access to social media. According to a survey of Ipsos, two-thirds of respondents in 30 countries support the idea of a total ban for children and young adolescents. France lead this trend with 80% of adults in favor to limit access to social media for those under 14. At the other extreme we find Germany, the only country where the majority opposes these restrictions. In Sweden, a forward-looking reasoning that bans screens from a very early age.
In Italy, the sentiment is clear: the 72% believes that the ban should be applied both inside and outside schools. A fact that makes us reflect on the perception of online risks in our country.
The crucial role of education
The most interesting question arises when we talk about educational responsibility. 62% of respondents globally believe that it is up to teachers to provide adequate digital literacy. In Italy this percentage rises to 70%.
It makes me smile to think that we are trying to solve a 21st century problem with a 20th century approach: prohibition. As he said Ferruccio De Bortoli on Corriere della Sera:
Treating the Net as an object to be prohibited is completely illusory if not counterproductive. And what is prohibited is even more seductive. Irresistible.
Concerns from rights groups
Not everyone is happy about this crackdown. Several groups for the rights of minors have raised concerns legitimate: the ban could cut off from vital support and resources precisely those who need it most, such as young people LGBTQIA + or coming from migrant backgrounds.
Then there is the real risk that this restriction will push kids towards less regulated areas of the Internet. It's like when you close the front door: there's always a back window. The real crux of the matter, in my opinion, is not so much whether to prohibit or allow, but how to effectively educate people to use technology in a conscious way.
Minors online: a balanced solution is needed
The response cannot be only repressive. 60% of Italians the Mint that school gives too little space to creativity, while the 58% He believes that communication is not properly taught. The real challenge is finding a balance between protection and education. It's not just about banning, but about building what experts call "response ability“: the ability to provide adequate responses to the challenges of the digital world.
Australia has made its choice. But perhaps instead of asking whether it is right to ban minors from social media online, we should be asking how we can help them navigate this digital ocean safely and consciously.
