Australia has proposed a social media ban on children under 16. The new proposed law will force social media platforms to enforce these rules, under penalty of fines.
Albanese said the burden of enforcing the rules will be on social media platforms who will have to demonstrate that they are taking reasonable steps to prevent access. The burden will not be on parents or young people. There will be no sanctions for users”
Albanese admitted that the laws “will not solve the problem immediately”, citing alcohol regulations in the country which, so far, have not eliminated the problem of underage drinking.
The Australian government said it had consulted with social media companies about the age limit, but did not specify which services the ban would apply to. Communications Minister Michelle Rowland confirmed that the ban will cover Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube.
In a statement shared with Bloomberg, Meta’s head of security, Antigone Davis, said that Meta will respect “any age restrictions that the Government wants to introduce for the use of social media.”
“What’s missing is a deeper discussion about how to implement protections. Otherwise, we risk feeling better if we took action, but teens and parents won’t be in a better place,” Davis added.
