A new law in Australia tries to protect children on social networks.
On Thursday, Nov. 28, Australian lawmakers passed a ban on social media for children under 16 — one of the most sweeping initiatives aimed at protecting the safety and health of young people in the world, according to reports from NBC News and The New York Times.
The “world-leading” law, called the Online Safety Amendment (Minimum Age for Social Media) Act 2024, “will provide greater protection for young Australians during critical stages of their development”, according to a press release from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
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Although it is not entirely clear which platforms will be covered by the landmark ban, the times reported that it will affect Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Reddit, and X (formerly known as Twitter).
Meanwhile, YouTube is unchanged, along with WhatsApp and similar messaging apps, the house said.
Apps that are “related to health and education” such as Headspace and Google Classroom are also not affected by the age limit, according to the press release, which also guarantees that Australian youth “will have constant access to messaging and gaming online”.
A picture of the children on their phones.
Xavier Lorenzo/Getty
Under the newly adopted law, the age limit has been lowered for the affected apps, with more responsibility placed directly and solely on the platforms — “not parents or young people,” according to the press release.
Specifically, the law requires companies to take “reasonable steps” to prevent anyone under the age of 16 from creating an account and states that the responsibility for enforcing the restrictions falls solely on the platforms.
Social media platforms now have 12 months to comply with these requirements, according to times. If any of the apps fail to prevent children from creating accounts on their sites, they could be fined roughly $32 million.
“We know that social media harms society,” Albanese said in a statement. “We want Australian children to have a childhood and we want parents to know the government is with them.”
And, acknowledging that Australian children affected by the “significant reform” could find ways around its restrictions, the prime minister said he hoped businesses would take note.
“We know some kids will find workarounds,” he said, “but we’re sending a message to social media companies to clean up.”
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Implemented because of concerns about privacy rights, the revision of the law says that regardless of age, users will not be forced to provide government identification to verify their age, times reported.
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In addition, the bill will reportedly “contain strong privacy provisions,” according to the prime minister’s press release. For example, it will require platforms to “limit and destroy all data collected” to protect people’s personal data.
“The Bill was designed after extensive feedback from young Australians, parents, experts, industry, community organizations and state and territory governments,” the statement said. “It builds on the Australian Government’s wider efforts to hold platforms accountable for ensuring the safety of their users.”
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education