Australia Bans Social Media for Minors Under 16: New Law Targets TikTok, Instagram, and More
Children under 18 must obtain parental consent to create social media accounts: Draft guidelines
On Thursday, the Australian Senate approved a law that prohibits young children from using social media, making Australia the first country to implement such a measure. Social media platforms like TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X, and Instagram will face fines of $33 million if they do not stop children under 16 from creating accounts.
The Senate voted 34 in favor and 19 against the bill, while the House of Representatives supported it with a significant majority of 102 votes to 13 on Wednesday.
The House still needs to approve amendments made by the Senate, but this is expected to be a mere formality as the government has already indicated support for them, according to AP.
Despite facing criticism from privacy advocates and some child rights organizations, recent polls show that 77% of the population supports the ban. Australia’s domestic media, particularly Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, the largest newspaper publisher in the country, has also backed the ban with a campaign titled “Let Them Be Kids.”
The ban could potentially create tension between Australia and its important ally, the United States. Elon Musk, the owner of X and a prominent figure in Donald Trump’s administration, suggested in a recent post that it appears to be a “backdoor way to control internet access for all Australians.” However, YouTube is not included in the ban since it is utilized in educational settings.
The companies involved have requested that the legislation be delayed until after the age verification trial is completed.
Sunita Bose, managing director of the Digital Industry Group, described the situation as “putting the cart before the horse,” noting that while the bill exists, there is a lack of guidance from the Australian government on the appropriate methods that various services affected by the law should implement.
Sarah Hanson-Young, a senator from the Greens party, criticized the move by stating that it reflects older generations attempting to dictate how young people should navigate the internet in order to feel more comfortable.
