The Briefing Room Should the Government ban social media for young people?
21 snips
Feb 19, 2026 
Pete Etchells, psychology professor who weighs population evidence and policy trade-offs. Sonia Livingstone, media scholar who maps harms, benefits and rights. Amy Orben, research professor who explains limits of causal evidence. Katy Watson, BBC correspondent who reports on Australia’s age-verification ban and early outcomes. They discuss Australia’s ban, verification and enforcement, research gaps, personalised algorithms, and policy alternatives.
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Ban Began As A Domestic Recommendation
- The idea for Australia's ban began as a personal recommendation in one premier's household after his wife read Jonathan Haidt's book.
- That private suggestion quickly snowballed into political momentum and public campaigns supporting a ban.
How The Australian Ban Works In Practice
- Australia banned under-16s from ten named platforms and required companies to implement age verification within a year.
- Non-compliant firms face fines up to 49.5 million AUD, but implementation varies and privacy concerns arose.
Reported Closures Yet Teens Say Nothing Changed
- Initial government figures reported 4.7 million accounts closed after the ban, but many kids said nothing changed for them.
- Some teenagers openly told reporters they still had access, suggesting evasive workarounds and uncertain enforcement.
