‘Not rushed’: Andrew Wallace addresses concerns about social media ban for users under 16

Liberal MP Andrew Wallace has refuted claims that the government’s social media ban for children under 16 was rushed, stating that discussions have been ongoing for over 12 months. It comes as the Albanese government's controversial social media ban passed the Senate this week. The world-first legislation will mean kids under the age of 16 are set to be blocked from accessing popular platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat. The ban, which will take about 12 months to come into effect, was initially raised by the Albanese government over safety fears for children and after kids took their lives from the mental impacts of bullying and extortion. “We've been talking about this for more than 12 months. I've been on a committee which has been examining this issue for most of this year. We've received over 200 witnesses, days and days of evidence. So this is not something that has been rushed,” Mr Wallace told Sky News host Danica De Giorgio.