TECHNOLOGY

This country becomes the first to pass a law banning young teens from social media platforms

×

This country becomes the first to pass a law banning young teens from social media platforms

Share this article
This country becomes the first to pass a law banning young teens from social media platforms



Today, Australia became the first country to pass a law that bans children under the age of 16 from using social media. The law was passed Friday by Australian Parliament with the Senate passing it by a margin of 34 to 19. The House of Representatives voted 102 to 13 in favor of the legislation. Social media platforms including Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, Reddit, X, and Instagram could be fined as much as 50 million Australian dollars ($33 million) for failing to keep children 16 and younger from having accounts.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said, “Platforms now have a social responsibility to ensure the safety of our kids is a priority for them.” He also pointed out that the law supports parents who are concerned about how social media platforms hurt their children.

Know someone with hearing issues? On Black Friday, buy them the AirPods Pro 2

The law gives social media platforms one year to figure out how they can avoid penalties by making sure that they are following the new law. Despite the age restrictions, privacy policies were bolstered by the law. While critics worry about how the privacy of all users will be affected by the legislation, social media platforms cannot require users to provide government-issued identification such as driver’s licenses and passports to prove that they are over 16 years old.

Australian parents might be pleased with the law, but the social media platforms were not happy. Meta Platforms which, owns Facebook and Instagram, called the legislation “rushed.” Meta said that in the process of getting the law passed, lawmakers failed to examine what the social media platforms are currently doing to “ensure age-appropriate experiences, and the voices of young people.” 

See also  What Australia's Social Media Ban Means for Digital Rights

Digital Industries Group (DIGI), which represents the digital industry in Australia including social media platforms, said that questions remain about how the law will impact children and the scope of the legislation.

Sen. David Shoebridge, a member of the minority Greens party, says that the new law will do damage to vulnerable young people, mostly those in regional communities. He specifically focused on the LGBTQ+ community as a group that might feel cut off without access to social media platforms. There will be exemptions for services delivering health and education content including YouTube, Messenger Kids, WhatsApp, Kids Helpline, and Google Classroom.

Critics also argued that the bill was passed in order to sway parents that the government is protecting their children ahead of a national election scheduled for May. The critics also fear that once cut off from social media platforms, children 16 and under will turn to the dark web.



Source Link Website

See also  YouTube rolls out a new look for bottom bar icons

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *