- Australian lawmakers have passed legislation to ban under 16s from social media platforms, with companies facing multimillion-dollar fines for non-compliance.
- The bill, which passed the lower chamber, aims to prevent young teens from having social media accounts and protect them from online harms.
- Social media firms have criticized the laws as “vague”, “problematic”, and “rushed”, while experts question the effectiveness of the ban.
In a significant move to protect young people from online harms, Australian lawmakers have passed landmark legislation to ban under 16s from social media platforms. The bill, which passed the lower chamber, threatens companies with multimillion-dollar fines for failing to comply.
Under the new rules, social media firms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat must take “reasonable steps” to prevent young teens from having accounts ¹. However, the legislation has been criticized by social media firms as “vague”, “problematic”, and “rushed”.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has championed the ban, citing concerns about the impact of social media on young people’s mental health and well-being. The ban is one of the strictest in the world, but experts question its effectiveness, pointing out that age restrictions can easily be circumvented.
The legislation will now be debated by the Senate, and if passed, will come into effect after a 12-month implementation period.
