The Australian government has announced plans to introduce legislation banning children under 16 from using social media platforms.
“This one is for the mums and dads…
They, like me, are worried sick about the safety of our kids online.
I want Australian families to know that the government has your back.”
“There’ll be no penalties for users,” he said.
The legislation is expected to come into effect 12 months after passing through parliament.
Most significantly, the ban will apply uniformly, with no exemptions for parental consent.
The new rules will be enforced by Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, the country’s online regulator.
Reactions from social media companies have ranged from cautious to non-existent.
However, he argued that the measure was necessary given the power imbalance between young users and tech companies.
“These tech companies are incredibly powerful.
These apps have algorithms that drive people towards certain behavior,” he said.
The proposal has sparked debate among experts and advocacy groups.
Conversely, grassroots campaigns like the 36Months initiative, which has garnered over 125,000 signatures, support the ban.
The government has said it is trialing age-verification systems to block underage access.
