The Australian government has passed into law a bill banning social media for children under 16, making the country world’s first with the toughest regulations targeting Big Tech.
The bill was passed by the Australian parliament today, Friday, a day after it was approved by the Senate. The law targets leading social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat, which could be fined up to $33 million for failure to comply with the new regulations.
Social media platforms will have to enforce measures to ensure the prevention of accounts belonging to children aged under 16 years. The legislation was open to consultation for only a day and received 15,000 submissions.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said the law addresses parents’ worries related to the harms on online platforms. “Platforms now have a social responsibility to ensure the safety of our kids is a priority for them.”
The legislation has received widespread criticism from tech companies and digital rights advocates, who are concerned about the potential marginalisation of young Australians in online spaces.
“We are concerned about the process which rushed the legislation through while failing to properly consider the evidence, what industry already does to ensure age-appropriate experiences, and the voices of young people,” a Meta spokesperson says.
TikTok’s owner ByteDance and X’s Elon Musk have raised concerns about the potential adverse effects of the law as well.
A prohibition date for social media use by children in the country has yet to be announced.
