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australian House of Representatives We passed a law banning children under 16 from using social media. senate Completes the world’s first law.
The major political parties supported legislation creating a platform that would include: TikTok, Facebook, snapchat, redditx and Instagram It could face a fine of up to A$50 million (£26 million) for systemic failures to prevent young children from holding accounts.
The bill passed 102-13. If the bill passes this week, platforms will have a year to figure out how to implement age restrictions before penalties take effect.
Opposition lawmaker Dan Tehan told parliament the government had agreed to accept amendments in the Senate that would strengthen privacy protections.
Platforms cannot force users to provide government-issued identification, including a passport or driver’s license, or require digital identification through government systems.
‘Is it perfect? no. But is any law perfect? No, it isn’t. But if it helps, even if it helps in just the smallest way, it will make a big difference to people’s lives,’ Tehan told parliament.
The bill is expected to be brought to the Senate late Wednesday for debate at an unspecified time.
There are no exceptions if a child already has an account or has permission from a parent or guardian to use the site.
Almost all of the major political parties support the bill’s passage in the Senate, where it lacks a majority.
Lawmakers who belong to neither the government nor the opposition were the most critical of the bill during debates held on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Criticisms include that the bill was rushed through Congress without proper scrutiny, would be ineffective, would pose privacy risks for users of all ages, and would take away parents’ power to decide what’s best for their children.
Critics also say the ban isolates children, deprives them of the positive aspects of social media, pushes them to the dark web, makes them reluctant to report harm caused by social media too young, and is an attempt to make online spaces safer. They claim it will take away incentives for the platform. .
Independent councilor Zoe Daniel said the bill ‘would have no impact whatsoever on the inherent harm of social media’.
“The real purpose of this bill is not to make social media safe, but to make parents and voters feel like the government is doing something about it,” Daniel told lawmakers.
She added: “There’s a reason the government boasts that this bill is the best in the world, and that’s because no other country wants it.”
Mehta, which owns various apps including Instagram and Facebook, said it would comply with the age restriction.
The platform called for the vote to be postponed until at least June next year, when a government-commissioned Age Guarantee Technical Assessment will produce a report on how to enforce the ban.
Melbourne resident Wayne Holdsworth, whose 17-year-old son Mac took his own life last year after falling victim to an online sexual exploitation scam, described the legislation as ‘absolutely necessary for the safety of our children’.
‘It’s not the only thing we need to do to protect them because education is key, but providing immediate support to our children and parents to help them manage this is a great step,’ the 65-year-old said. “It’s a very difficult thing to do,” an online safety activist told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
And in my opinion, this is the greatest period in the history of our country, he added. referring to pending legal reforms.
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