Australia’s center-left government has introduced a bill in Parliament that aims to ban social media for children under 16 and impose fines of up to $32 million on platforms for breaches. The country plans to trial an age-verification system, possibly using biometrics or government identification. This would be the highest age limit set by any country with no exemption for parental consent or pre-existing accounts. The proposals are intended to send a message to social media companies to improve their practices.
The opposition Liberal Party plans to support the bill, but independents and the Green party are seeking more details. The law would impact platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X, and Snapchat. The government assures that children will still have access to messaging, online gaming, and health- and education-related services.
The Labor government argues that excessive social media use can be harmful to children’s physical and mental health, citing risks for girls from harmful body image depictions and misogynist content for boys. This policy is one of the most stringent in the world, with France proposing a ban for those under 15, and the US requiring parental consent for those under 13.
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland emphasized the need for platforms to take responsibility for age verification protections and user safety. The proposed law includes privacy provisions to safeguard users’ personal data.
Overall, Australia’s proposed legislation seeks to protect children from harmful online content and holds social media platforms accountable for user safety.
Photo credit
www.nbcnews.com
