The cost of Australia’s social media ban

Business Daily

BBC

News, Business

4.4 • 796 Ratings

🗓️ 9 December 2025

⏱️ 18 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This week the country becomes the first in the world to implement a social media ban for under 16s.

We look at the impact on content creators, tech companies and on businesses which sell via social media?

We find out how they're navigating this change, and ask if other countries will look to follow suit.

Presenter: Ed Butler Producer: Matt Lines

(Image: A group of young people looking at phones. Credit: Getty Images)

Transcript

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0:00.0	BBC Sounds, Music, radio, podcasts.
0:06.6	Hi there, I'm Ed Butler.
0:08.3	Welcome to Business Daily on the BBC World Service.
0:11.1	This week, Australia is introducing its new social media ban for children under the age of 16,
0:17.4	a move that the government says is overdue and necessary for kids' mental health.
0:23.1	Not everyone agrees.
0:24.4	Social media is a main resource of communication between people, like especially young people.
0:29.8	Not all social media is negative.
0:31.6	Like there has been some negative effects, but also you can still learn things from social
0:37.1	media.
0:38.5	Like it's not all bad.
0:40.9	The ban is the first of its kind anywhere,
0:45.0	but there could be a whole array of practical and legal rangles ahead.
0:50.3	And content creators, companies who sell products through social media and tech companies,
0:52.6	are all braced for the impact.
0:53.9	The world is watching.
0:56.3	It's on every country's mind right now.
1:00.3	As long as your governments have their citizens in mind,
1:02.0	I think this is on their mind.
1:05.0	Getting Australia's youth off social media.
1:07.1	That's Business Daily from the BBC.
1:13.9	Social media is doing harm to our kids kids and I'm calling time on it.
	...

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