Shoppers use their phones as they walk past the entrance to a Myer department store, owned by Australia's biggest department store chain Myer Holdings Ltd, in Sydney, Australia, November 1, 2017.
Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Thursday the government would legislate for a ban on social media for children under 16, a policy the government says is world-leading.
Australia is trialing an age-verification system to assist in blocking children from accessing social media platforms, as part of a ban that could come into force as soon as the end of next year.
"Social media is doing harm to our kids and I'm calling time on it," Albanese told a news conference.
Albanese cited the risks to physical and mental health of children from excessive social media use, in particular the risks to girls from harmful depictions of body image, and misogynist content aimed at boys.
Persons:
Anthony Albanese, Albanese
Organizations:
Myer, Australia's, Myer Holdings Ltd, Australia
Locations:
Sydney, Australia