Technical News Office – To protect the mental health of young people, the Australian government is introducing a new law under which children under the age of 16 will not be able to use social media. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Thursday that children under the age of 16 would be banned from using social media as part of efforts to protect young people’s mental health, according to a report. In addition, affected companies will have to implement the new rules or face possible fines. He also said that the government was also testing the age verification system. The new law could come into force at the end of next year.
Social media harms children – Albanese
“I’m talking about staying away from social media because it’s harming our children,” Albanese said at a press conference, according to a Business Standard report. She highlighted the dangers that excessive use of social media poses to children’s physical and mental health, particularly for girls who are exposed to negative image portrayals and misogynistic content targeting boys. He said: “If you’re a 14-year-old kid and you’re going through all of this as you’re going through change and maturation in your life, it can be a really difficult time, and what we need to do is listen. . “And then act.”
The Australian government launched an age verification system
While many countries have already committed to passing laws to limit children’s use of social media, Australia’s policies are among the strictest. To date, no state has attempted to impose age limits on social media using age verification technologies such as biometrics or government identification, two of which are currently being trialled in Australia. Australia’s other new proposals include the highest age limit of any country, no exemption for parental approval and no exemption for pre-existing accounts. According to Albanese, the legislation will be presented to the Australian Parliament this year and will come into force a year after it is approved by lawmakers. The ban was supported by the opposition Liberal Party. Children who already have an account or who have parental consent will not be exempt. “Social media platforms will have the responsibility to demonstrate that they are taking appropriate steps to prevent access,” Albanese said. “This responsibility will not fall on parents or young people.” “What we are announcing here and the legislation we will develop will truly be world leaders,” said Communications Minister Michel Rolland.
These companies will be subject to the law
According to Rowland, Elon Musk’s X, ByteDance’s TikTok and Meta Services’ Instagram and Facebook are among the services that could be affected by the new law. He also said that Alphabet-owned YouTube could also be subject to the law. According to the Digital Industry Group, this approach could encourage young people to explore the dark, unregulated corners of the Internet, while denying them access to support networks. The Digital Industry Group is a representative group that includes members such as Alphabet’s Meta, TikTok, X and Google.
Sunita Bose, chief executive of DIGI, said: “Keeping young people safe online is a top priority… but when teenagers use digital platforms, there is a risk of significant loss of privacy and security. The proposed ban is a 20th century response to 21st century challenges. “Instead of blocking access with restrictions, we need to take a balanced approach to creating age-appropriate spaces, developing digital literacy and protecting young people from online dangers,” she said.
While users can bypass this restriction with parental permission, France this year proposed banning children under 15 from using social media. Most social media platforms block children under 13 from using their services, as is the case in the United States, where tech companies have for decades required parental consent before accessing data children under 13 years old.
