A New Law in Australia: A Ban on Social Media for Children Under 16
The Australian Senate has passed a legislation that will soon become a world-first law, banning social media use for children under 16. The bill was approved by a vote of 34 to 19 and will make social media platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X, and Instagram liable for fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars ($33 million) for systemic failures to prevent children younger than 16 from holding accounts.
The House of Representatives has already approved the legislation, and the platforms have one year to work out how to implement the ban before penalties are enforced. The law will also regulate privacy protections, with platforms not allowed to compel users to provide government-issued identity documents or digital identification.
Critics of the legislation fear that it may have unintended consequences, including negatively impacting the privacy of users who must establish they are over 16. Child welfare and mental health advocates are also concerned that the ban may isolate children who use social media to find support.
Senator David Shoebridge from the minority Greens party argued that the ban could isolate many children who use social media to find support, while Senator Maria Kovacic from the opposition party suggested that the legislation is necessary to ensure that social media companies take reasonable steps to identify and remove underage users from their platforms.
Online safety campaigner Sonya Ryan, who lost her 15-year-old daughter to a pedophile, described the vote as a “monumental moment in protecting our children from horrendous harms online.” Wayne Holdsworth, whose teenage son took his own life after falling victim to an online sextortion scam, welcomed the passage of the legislation, which he had advocated for.
However, some critics argue that the law is being rushed through Parliament without adequate scrutiny, poses privacy risks, and undermines the authority of parents to make decisions for their children. They also fear that the ban may drive children to the dark web and reduce incentives for platforms to improve online safety.
