Children under the age of 16 are banned from using social networks in Australia
A ban on social media use for children under 16 years old was passed by the Australian Senate on Thursday (November 28). It will soon become the first law in the world. Social media platforms that violate Australian law will then have to pay millions of dollars in fees.
How Australia’s ban will impact social media platforms
The law will subject platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram to fines of up to A$50 million ($33 million) for systemic failures to prevent children under 16 from creating accounts. clause. The Australian Senate passed the bill with 34 votes to 19, according to AP news agency.
Additionally, the House of Representatives on Wednesday passed the bill by 102 votes to 13. The House of Representatives has yet to pass the Senate opposition’s amendments, but that is just a formality as the government has agreed that They will pass on Friday. The amendments strengthen privacy protections. Platforms will not be allowed to prompt users for government-issued identification. That list includes passports or driver’s licenses. Furthermore, they will not be able to request digital identification through the government system.
All social media platforms will have one year to come up with a plan to implement the ban. The government will then begin enforcing penalties.
Meta reacts to the ban
Meta Platforms, which owns Facebook and Instagram, said the legislation was “rushed”. Digital Industry Group Inc., which advocates for the platforms in Australia, said many questions remained about the law’s impact on children, its technical underpinnings and its scope. DIGI CEO Sunita Bose said in a statement.
“The law banning social networks was enacted and passed within a week and therefore, no one can confidently explain how it will work in practice – the community and the platforms do not know exactly what is required of them,” Bose said.
The platforms have complained that the legislation would be unworkable and called on the Senate to delay a vote until at least June 2025, when an age and impact review would be completed.
“Naturally, we respect the laws decided by the Australian Parliament,” Facebook and Instagram owner Meta Platforms said in a statement. “However, we are concerned about the process of rushing through legislation without properly considering the evidence, what the industry has done to ensure age-appropriate experiences and youth voices.”
The arguments against the ban say this
Critics of the Australian law worry that banning young children from using social media will impact the privacy of users who must prove they are over 16 years old.
While the major parties support the ban, many child welfare and mental health advocates are concerned about unintended consequences.
Some say the law was rushed through Congress without adequate scrutiny. Others say it is ineffective, poses privacy risks for all users and undermines the rights of parents to make decisions for their children.
Opponents also argue that the ban will isolate children, deprive them of the positive aspects of social networks, push them into the dark web, and prevent children too young to report harm on social networks. society and reduce incentives for platforms to improve online safety.
RELATED: The Florida House of Representatives passed a bill banning children under 16 from using social media accounts
Associated Press staff members Rod McGuirk and Kelvin Chan contributed to this report.
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