What’s happening?
The Australian Government has moved ahead with legislation that blocks under-16s from using social media. The National Rural Health Alliance (NRHA) says it is a sign that the government is ready to act on digital harm, but the group is clear that this step cannot stand alone.
NRHA Chief Executive Susi Tegen says families will wear much of the fallout if this measure is not backed by wider reform. “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 believes this move should be the start of a longer process. “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 central problem, the NRHA says, is not teenage behaviour. “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 often lean heavily on online spaces because physical distance and limited services reduce their offline connections.
Local impact
In rural and remote areas, young people already face more isolation than most. The ban could remove access to their main social networks without fixing the source of harm.
The NRHA warns that many children have already shifted to VPN tools and encrypted platforms, which sit outside regulation and are harder for adults to monitor.
By the numbers
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Rural children depend on online channels for social contact due to fewer local networks.
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Global child advocates and parents have pushed for broad reforms for several years.
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Young people are already active on unregulated or encrypted platforms that escape oversight.
Zoom in
Ms Tegen says the problem has outpaced the current policy response. “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 adds that the legislation highlights real worries around bullying, harmful body-image content and commercial targeting, but the lack of platform accountability remains the main gap.
Zoom out
Without firm standards that force platforms to protect children by design, the NRHA says bans will only shift harmful behaviour to other corners of the internet.
The group warns that the reform could be viewed as political theatre if the government does not deliver broader, enforceable change.
What to look for next?
The Alliance expects more rapid action. Ms Tegen says the intent is clear, but timing now matters. “We acknowledge that this legislation shows political intent, but the horse has bolted.”
The NRHA urges platform duty-of-care laws, mandatory safety-by-design measures, updated digital literacy programs that include support for parents, accessible complaint pathways and targeted approaches for rural and remote youth.
