Australia Prohibits Social Media Use for Children Under 16
Australia has enacted legislation aimed at prohibiting children under the age of 16 from using social media platforms. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
**Tech companies face potential fines for noncompliance with age restrictions**
The Australian parliament has passed a new bill that prohibits children under 16 from accessing social media. The Senate approved the legislation on Thursday, following its passage in the House of Representatives the previous day.
As reported by Australian public broadcaster ABC, the Social Media Minimum Age Bill characterizes an “age-restricted social media platform” as a service whose “sole purpose, or a significant purpose” is to facilitate “online social interaction” among users who can “post material” on the platform. The bill does not specify any particular services.
Platforms that fail to take “reasonable steps” to prevent users under 16 from accessing their services could incur fines of up to $50 million. The new law is set to come into full effect within 12 months.
The government has justified the law by stating that it aims to enhance the protection of children's wellbeing.
“Social media is doing harm to our children, and today as a direct result of our legislation passed through the parliament… parents can have a different discussion with their young ones,” said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in a press briefing. “We’ve got your back is our message to Australian parents.”
The Prime Minister also addressed concerns over how the bill would be executed. “We don’t argue that its implementation will be perfect, just like the alcohol ban for [those] under 18 doesn’t mean that someone under 18 never has access. But we know that it’s the right thing to do,” he stated.
Tech giants Google and Meta have called for a postponement of the bill until the conclusion of the ongoing age-verification trial.
“We are concerned about the process which rushed the legislation through while failing to properly consider the evidence, what industry already does to ensure age-appropriate experiences, and the voices of young people,” Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, remarked in a statement.
The company further expressed its hope for “productive consultation on all rules associated with the bill to ensure a technically feasible outcome that does not place an onerous burden on parents and teens and a commitment that rules will be consistently applied across all social apps used by teens.”
Snap, the parent company of Snapchat, also voiced concerns, stating that “there are many unanswered questions about how this law will be implemented in practice.” The company committed to “engage closely” with the Australian government regarding the new regulations.
Critics, including some Australian politicians and activists, have deemed the legislation inadequate. Senator Matt Canavan pointed out that the law “fails to address privacy concerns.”
“The attempt to ban kids from social media will be ineffective but worse it may undermine proper efforts to reign in the harms of social media,” Canavan expressed on X.
Globally, various countries have been exploring methods to ensure safer navigation of online platforms for children. For instance, Florida recently enacted a law banning children under 14 from social media and requiring parental consent for users aged 14 and 15.
Mark B Thomas contributed to this report for TROIB News
The Australian parliament has passed a new bill that prohibits children under 16 from accessing social media. The Senate approved the legislation on Thursday, following its passage in the House of Representatives the previous day.
As reported by Australian public broadcaster ABC, the Social Media Minimum Age Bill characterizes an “age-restricted social media platform” as a service whose “sole purpose, or a significant purpose” is to facilitate “online social interaction” among users who can “post material” on the platform. The bill does not specify any particular services.
Platforms that fail to take “reasonable steps” to prevent users under 16 from accessing their services could incur fines of up to $50 million. The new law is set to come into full effect within 12 months.
The government has justified the law by stating that it aims to enhance the protection of children's wellbeing.
“Social media is doing harm to our children, and today as a direct result of our legislation passed through the parliament… parents can have a different discussion with their young ones,” said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in a press briefing. “We’ve got your back is our message to Australian parents.”
The Prime Minister also addressed concerns over how the bill would be executed. “We don’t argue that its implementation will be perfect, just like the alcohol ban for [those] under 18 doesn’t mean that someone under 18 never has access. But we know that it’s the right thing to do,” he stated.
Tech giants Google and Meta have called for a postponement of the bill until the conclusion of the ongoing age-verification trial.
“We are concerned about the process which rushed the legislation through while failing to properly consider the evidence, what industry already does to ensure age-appropriate experiences, and the voices of young people,” Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, remarked in a statement.
The company further expressed its hope for “productive consultation on all rules associated with the bill to ensure a technically feasible outcome that does not place an onerous burden on parents and teens and a commitment that rules will be consistently applied across all social apps used by teens.”
Snap, the parent company of Snapchat, also voiced concerns, stating that “there are many unanswered questions about how this law will be implemented in practice.” The company committed to “engage closely” with the Australian government regarding the new regulations.
Critics, including some Australian politicians and activists, have deemed the legislation inadequate. Senator Matt Canavan pointed out that the law “fails to address privacy concerns.”
“The attempt to ban kids from social media will be ineffective but worse it may undermine proper efforts to reign in the harms of social media,” Canavan expressed on X.
Globally, various countries have been exploring methods to ensure safer navigation of online platforms for children. For instance, Florida recently enacted a law banning children under 14 from social media and requiring parental consent for users aged 14 and 15.
Mark B Thomas contributed to this report for TROIB News
