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An Australian family of influencers are relocating to the UK to escape a social media ban on under-16s. The Empire Family, made up of mothers Beck and Bec Lea, Prezley, their 17-year-old son, and their 14-year-old daughter Charlotte, each post content about their daily lives on social media where they have a combined six million followers. But the young influencers are about to be caught in the crossfire of Australia's looming social media ban, forcing the family to take the extraordinary step of relocating across the world. From December 10, young Aussies under-16 will be banned from social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X and YouTube - a year after the 'world-first' legislation was passed by the government. Beck announced online that the family have decided to move from Perth, Western Australia, to London while their native country finalises the details for the unprecedented social media crackdown. The government says it is taking 'reasonable steps' to prevent children creating accounts - as well as to deactivate existing ones. Social media networks could be fined as much as 50million Australian dollars (£25million) if they fail to enforce the ban. Bec and Beck said they did not want their youngest Charli to be forced to give up her aspiring career online, having already amassed 550,000 YouTube subscribers and 284,000 TikTok followers by the age of 14. Bec said: 'When we heard that it was actually going to happen, we were like: 'Okay, we need a solution, because Charli loves being online.' Charli's account, which includes content on travelling, shopping hauls, make-up reviews and challenges, is run by her parents. Both Charli and Prezley launched their young social media careers in 2018. Now that Prezley has finished school and Charli has switched to online education, the parents thought it would be a perfect time to move to London, where their daughter will be able to keep her social media accounts. 'We've been wanting to travel for a while so now we go to the UK, we can still use our social media, Charlotte can still use her social media, Prezley is over 16, but it just kind of covers us while Australia figures out the logistics of that rule. 'I think there's going to be a lot of hiccups and a lot of ups and downs,' she said. The dual British-Australian citizens chose London for work and travel opportunities, where they already have a massive UK audience. 'We've got our British passports, so we thought why not?' Beck Lea continued. The family insisted that they're not opposed to Australia's social media ban, adding that the move 'won't be forever'. 'We understand that it's very important, that there's young people that are affected negatively from social media,' Beck said. 'We're not naive to that, it's just that how it affects us and the way we use social media, where we would get caught up in the few that use the internet for good.' Bec added: 'The world has changed so much now with social media, where young kids can start making a difference for good and starting businesses at a young age.' The mothers admitted they had their own hesitations and fears when their children first asked to create YouTube videos. 'What we knew about it was that it was like a dangerous kind of unsafe space,' Beck Lea told Mamamia. 'We were just like, 'Nope, we're not even getting into it, guys'. Just a flat, 'No'.' Bec added: 'We always have a bit of a discussion about what we would like to share. We don't share anything that is even remotely private or something.' Australia's social media ban, which has been driven heavily by prime minister Anthony Albanese, has divided opinion - with concerns raised over privacy concerns relating to age verification software. The family's main content is through YouTube, with Prezley's account attracting 2.8million subscribers. The family's main account is followed by 1.8millon fans. Earlier this year, the Government debated introducing 16 as the minimum age for children to have social media in Parliament after a petition gained hundreds of thousands of signatures. However on December 17 last year it concluded: 'The government is aware of the ongoing debate as to what age children should have smartphones and access to social media. The government is not currently minded to support a ban for children under 16. 'Children face a significant risk of harm online and we understand that families are concerned about their children experiencing online bullying, encountering content that encourages violence, or other content which may be harmful. We will continue to do what is needed to keep children safe online. However, this is a complicated issue. 'We live in a digital age and must strike the right balance so that children can access the benefits of being online and using smartphones while we continue to put their safety first.
