Children under the age of 14 in South Australia would be banned from using social media under a proposal put forward by the state’s Premier, Peter Mali-naus-kas.

Malinauskas, who argued that there is mounting evidence that social media is detrimental to children’s mental health and development, announced that his state government had appointed Robert French, former Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia, to examine the legal practicalities of implementing Australia’s first social media age ban, which could emulate those that prevent Australians under the age of 18 from accessing online gambling.

Under the state government’s proposal, any South Australian under the age of 14 would be banned from using any social media and those aged 14 and 15 would require parental consent to access an account.