Photo courtesy of USA Today.
Dear Commons Community,
Australia has imposed a sweeping ban on social media for children under 16, one of the world’s most comprehensive measures aimed at safeguarding young people from potential hazards online. The law sets a minimum age for users of platforms like TikTok, Instagram and X. How the restriction will be enforced remains an open question. As reported by The New York Times.
After sailing through Parliament’s lower house on Wednesday, the bill passed the Senate on yesterday with bipartisan support. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said that it puts Australia at the vanguard of efforts to protect the mental health and well-being of children from detrimental effects of social media, such as online hate or bullying.
The law, he has said, puts the onus on social media platforms to take “reasonable steps” to prevent anyone under 16 from having an account. Corporations could be fined up to 49.5 million Australian dollars (about $32 million) for “systemic” failures to implement age requirements.
Neither underage users nor their parents will face punishment for violations. And whether children find ways to get past the restrictions is beside the point, Mr. Albanese said.
“We know some kids will find workarounds, but we’re sending a message to social media companies to clean up their act,” he said in a statement this month.
As with many countries’ regulations on alcohol or tobacco, the law will create a new category of “age-restricted social media platforms” accessible only to those 16 and older. How that digital carding will happen, though, is a tricky question.
The law specifies that users will not be forced to provide government identification as part of the verification process, a measure that the conservative opposition said was included after they raised concerns about privacy rights.
It is also not clear exactly which platforms will be covered by the ban. The prime minister has said that Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram and X will be included, but YouTube and messaging apps including WhatsApp are expected to be exempt.
France last year passed a law requiring parental consent for social media users under 15, and it has been pushing for similar measures across the European Union. Florida imposed a ban for users under 14 and required parental consent for 14- and 15-year-olds that goes into effect next year, but that law is expected to face constitutional challenges.
It will be interesting to see if other countries follow suit!
Tony
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