Do u Know? Australia becomes first to ban social media for kids under 16
The new law has drawn criticism from technology companies but has gained strong support from many parents.
By Newsmeter Network
Hyderabad: Beginning today, Australia has become the first country to impose a minimum age requirement for social media use, directing platforms such as TikTok, Alphabet’s YouTube, and Meta’s Instagram and Facebook to block more than one million accounts belonging to users under 16.
Around 10 big platforms were ordered to block children from midnight on Tuesday or face fines of up to A$49.5 million ($33 million) under the new law.
Criticism from tech, support from parents
The new law has drawn criticism from technology companies but has gained strong support from many parents. Experts say it could serve as a model for future global efforts to strengthen online safety regulations for minors.
While the Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, called it ‘a proud day’ for families.
In a video message which will be played in schools, Albanese will urge children to ‘start a new sport, new instrument, or read that book that has been sitting there for some time on your shelf,’ ahead of Australia’s summer school break starting later this month.
What does the act say?
Under the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act, age-restricted platforms must take ‘reasonable’ steps to identify existing accounts held by users below 16. They are required to deactivate or delete such accounts and prevent underage users from creating new ones, including blocking any possible workarounds.
At the same time, platforms must ensure that no account is wrongly removed due to errors in enforcement.
Remove pressure, risks and cyberbullying
The Australian government says the restrictions are intended to protect young users from the ‘pressures and risks’ associated with social media, including platform designs that encourage excessive screen time and expose children to content that may negatively affect their health and wellbeing.
A previous survey by a government regulator revealed that more than half of young Australians had experienced cyberbullying on social media.
