Australia is moving forward with a hard-line policy to ban social media access for children under 16, a move Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has described as “world-leading”. The government is testing an age-verification system to block young users, with the ban possibly taking effect by the end of next year.
Australia is pursuing a strict policy that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called “world-leading”: banning minors under 16 from using social media. To restrict juvenile users, the government is developing an age-verification system; the ban might go into place by the end of the next year.
According to Reuters, Albanese emphasized the risks social media presents to kids, particularly with regard to their emotional and physical well-being. He cited offensive material, such as misogynistic material aimed toward boys and body image problems that disproportionately impact girls.
The government is “listening” and “acting” to solve these difficulties, he said, expressing worry for children navigating these challenges during a crucial phase of life.
Later this year, the proposed legislation is anticipated to be tabled in parliament; once approved, the new laws will take effect 12 months later. The measure has broad political support because the opposition Liberal Party has indicated support for it.
There would be no exceptions to the general prohibition, not even for kids who already have accounts or have parental permission.
Prime Minister Albanese explained that social media companies would be in charge of enforcing the age restriction and would need to show that they are taking appropriate precautions to keep youngsters under 16 from accessing their accounts. He made it clear that neither parents nor young users will be held accountable for this.
According to Communications Minister Michelle Rowland, the bill would likely target YouTube in addition to Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X, the former name for Twitter.
Australia is one of the increasing number of nations seeking to control youth social media use. Although it permitted access with parental agreement, France last year recommended a ban for youngsters under the age of fifteen. The United States has long prohibited younger users from using most social media platforms by requiring parental approval before businesses can gather data from children under the age of 13.
However, Australia has one of the strongest policies to date, indicating a daring approach to kid safety in the digital era.
We informed you about Canada’s stance on TikTok just a few hours ago. Canada aims to ban TikTok for all users, not just children.
Due to purported national security threats associated with the startup and its parent company, ByteDance, Canada has ordered TikTok to cease operations in the nation. Despite not being formally prohibited, TikTok is required to shut down its operations in Canada in accordance with suggestions made by the country’s security and intelligence services. TikTok was previously prohibited on government devices in Canada.
TikTok intends to contest the ruling in response, claiming that local jobs would be harmed by the closure of its Canadian offices. In the United States, TikTok is under heightened investigation due to lawsuits alleging detrimental effects on the mental health of its young users. Furthermore, TikTok is being sued by seven French families who say the app has negatively impacted their kids’ mental and physical health. The impact of other sites, such as Instagram, on the mental health of teenagers is also being examined.