"The Albanese Government will legislate 16 as the minimum age for access to social media, following endorsement by National Cabinet today.

The decision follows extensive consultation with young people, parents and carers, academics and child development experts, community, industry and civil organisations, First Nations youth, and state and territory governments.

The Albanese Government will introduce legislation in the next Parliamentary sitting fortnight.

The Bill puts the onus on social media platforms, not parents or young people, to take reasonable steps to ensure fundamental protections are in place.

The Government will continue to work closely with stakeholders in the lead up to the commencement of the law, with a lead time of at least 12 months following the Bill’s passage to give industry, governments and the eSafety Commissioner time to implement systems and processes.

We will also use this time to develop guidance for parents, carers and children ahead of the change.

The Bill builds upon the Australian Government’s work to address online harms for young people, including the $6.5 million age assurance trial, establishing an online dating apps code, legislating new criminal penalties for non-consensual sexual deepfakes, and quadrupling base funding for the eSafety Commissioner.

The Government will ensure young Australians retain access to services that primarily provide education and health services, and work constructively with stakeholders to ensure that only services which meet the strict criteria under eSafety's powers are able to be accessed by children under 16."