Australia Proposes Strict Social Media Laws for Children
Ban on Social Media for Children Under 16
The Australian government has introduced a bill in parliament that aims to ban social media for children under 16 and proposes fines of up to A$49.5 million ($32 million) for social media platforms that breach the law.
Toughest Controls Imposed by Any Country
The proposals are the highest age limit set by any country, and would have no exemption for parental consent and no exemption for pre-existing accounts. The bill aims to enforce a social media age cut-off through a trial age-verification system, which may include biometrics or government identification.
Prime Minister’s Statement
"This is a landmark reform. We know some kids will find workarounds, but we’re sending a message to social media companies to clean up their act," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a statement.
Impact on Social Media Platforms
The proposed law would impact Meta Platforms’ Instagram and Facebook, Bytedance’s TikTok, and Elon Musk’s X and Snapchat. The opposition Liberal party plans to support the bill, while independents and the Green party have demanded more details on the proposed law.
Access to Other Online Services
However, Albanese said children will still have access to messaging, online gaming, and health and education-related services, such as youth mental health support platform Headspace, and Alphabet’s Google Classroom and YouTube.
Risks to Children’s Health
The Albanese-led Labor government has been arguing that excessive use of social media poses risks to physical and mental health of children, particularly the risks to girls from harmful depictions of body image, and misogynist content aimed at boys.
International Comparison
A number of countries have already vowed to curb social media use by children through legislation, but Australia’s policy is one of the most stringent. France last year proposed a ban on social media for those under 15 but users were able to avoid the ban with parental consent. The United States has for decades required technology companies to seek parental consent to access the data of children under 13.
Communications Minister’s Statement
"For too many young Australians, social media can be harmful. Almost two-thirds of 14 to 17-year-old Australians have viewed extremely harmful content online, including drug abuse, suicide or self-harm," Communications Minister Michelle Rowland told parliament on Thursday.
Enforcement and Privacy
The law would force social media platforms, and not parents or young people, to take reasonable steps to ensure the age-verification protections are in place. The proposed law will contain robust privacy provisions, including requiring platforms to destroy any information collected to safeguard the personal data of users.
Conclusion
The proposed law is a significant step towards protecting the physical and mental health of children in Australia. While some may argue that it is too restrictive, the government believes that it is necessary to hold social media platforms accountable for the content they host.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the age limit for social media use in Australia?
A: Children under 16 will be banned from using social media.
Q: Will there be any exemptions for parental consent or pre-existing accounts?
A: No, there will be no exemptions for parental consent or pre-existing accounts.
Q: How will the age-verification system work?
A: The system may include biometrics or government identification to enforce a social media age cut-off.
Q: What are the fines for social media platforms that breach the law?
A: Fines of up to A$49.5 million ($32 million) will be imposed for systemic breaches.