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An Australian teenage news boss says landmark legislation banning under-16s from social media is a “really bad idea” that will stifle young people’s creativity.

Leo Puglisi, 17, is in a unique position to assess the new law: He founded what claims to be the only national news streaming platform run by teens.

From his bedroom in his parents’ Melbourne home, Puglisi began uploading local news videos to YouTube channel 6 News in 2019.

Five years later, the channel now broadcasts an hourly bulletin and has 29,600 subscribers, with a further 40,700 on X.

He has a team of ten reporters, whose ages range from fifteen to late teens.

The new law could therefore pose a challenge for the news operation.

The legislation, approved by parliament on Thursday, orders social media companies to take “reasonable steps” to prevent under-16s from having accounts.

Because it takes effect after a year, it’s a “really bad idea,” Puglisi said.

So far, the legislation provides virtually no details on how the law will be enforced, leading experts to worry that it will be largely symbolic.

Social media companies that don’t comply with the ban face fines of up to Aus 50 million ($32.5 million) for “systemic breaches.”

Many of 6 News’ viewers interact with the channel through social media, he said, so a ban could make things “really tricky.”

Puglisi said it was impossible to know how the ban would affect his team – some under the age of 16 who use X to communicate and publish content on Facebook, TikTok and Instagram.

But no matter what happens, “6 News is definitely not going anywhere,” he said.

Puglisi said he was concerned about the speed at which the law was passed, limited information about which platforms would be banned and an apparent “lack of understanding about social media.”

While he is in favor of improving online safety, Puglisi emphasizes that social media sites also provide a place for young people to “discover their passions.”

“If this ban had been in place a few years ago, 6 News would not have existed in the first place, which I personally think is a great shame,” he told AFP.

Experts have warned that the ban could push young people into unsafe and unregulated parts of the internet.

Social media expert Susan Grantham from Griffith University said the government had opted for a “quick fix”.

“The moment they turn 16, they become eligible for an account with no training, no guidelines, no one to hold their hand in understanding what can and cannot be good decisions on these types of platforms,” she said.

The government could have instead opted for better education or a regulatory framework that prevents children from accessing harmful content, the expert said.

Young people join online communities to follow interests and hobbies, Grantham said, and taking that away could be “damaging” to their mental health.

But others said the ban was the right thing to do.

Body image expert Catherine Houlihan from the University of the Sunshine Coast said the teenage years were fundamental for “identity and brain development”.

“Banning social media for this age group and younger is an important step towards protecting the mental health of young people,” she said.