What’s happening?
New federal legislation will restrict social media access for under-16s. The National Rural Health Alliance (NRHA) says it is a step worth noting, but only if it becomes the start of broader online safety reform.
Chief Executive Susi Tegen says the goal of protecting children is shared, but the ban creates its own risks.
“We all wish for young people to be safe online, but banning under-16s from social media risks pushing them into unregulated spaces, cutting them off from support networks and placing the burden of policing technology onto families that are already stretched.”
She stresses that stopping here would be a mistake. “Today’s legislative step is welcome, but it must not be the full stop, it must be the first comma. Real protection comes from regulating platforms, not punishing children. Build safety in, don’t legislate absence.”
Why it matters
The NRHA says attention should shift from teenagers to the platforms themselves. “The real issue isn’t teenagers, it is the platforms designed to harvest attention, amplify harm and escape accountability,” Ms Tegen says.
The Alliance notes that rural children, already limited by distance and access, rely more on online spaces than most. Their social ties, identity and support networks often live there.
Local impact
The ban lands harder in rural and remote areas, where offline options are scarce. Cutting access without wider safeguards could deepen isolation.
Many young people are already using VPN tools or encrypted platforms that sit outside regulation, which makes monitoring harm even harder.
By the numbers
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Rural children rely strongly on digital spaces for social contact due to limited in-person networks.
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For several years, global child advocates have warned that wider system fixes are needed to curb online harm.
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Young people are already moving into unregulated platforms that reduce visibility and oversight.
Zoom in
Ms Tegen says the forces shaping online risk are moving faster than policy.
“Children accessing social media are being drawn in by unsafe tech platforms that utilise manipulative algorithms. It is a problem that has already galloped ahead, unless stronger system responses follow in rapid succession.”
She also notes that while the ban reflects public concern about bullying, exploitation and targeted manipulation, the larger issue is the lack of corporate responsibility.
Zoom out
Australia still lacks binding tech accountability laws. The NRHA argues that until platforms face clear duties around design and safety, any age-based ban will shift the problem rather than fix it.
That gap risks making the reform look symbolic rather than structural.
What to look for next?
The NRHA wants rapid follow-up action. Ms Tegen says political intent is a start, but pace matters. “We acknowledge that this legislation shows political intent, but the horse has bolted.”
The group is calling for platform duty-of-care laws, mandatory safety-by-design, digital literacy in schools that includes parent support, accessible complaint systems and specific approaches for rural and remote children.