Growing concern over children’s online safety. Picture: iStock As of this week, children Down Under cannot legally open accounts on Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, Facebook, X, Reddit, Twitch or Kick. Legislation and restriction of access have been largely lauded globally and copied in markets like Malaysia and Scandinavia.
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni instead told media that the country would not be following Australia’s example but rather “focus on South Africa’s path and let’s engage on that path”. She did not say what that path was. There are some benefits such as improved communication and peer support, but they do not outweigh the pervasive risks, he said.
He added that Australia’s approach mirrors alcohol regulation. “The logic is that minors lack the capacity to judge how harmful something may be,” he said. “Expecting them to self-regulate these platforms is unrealistic.”
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