International
Australian Parliament considers law banning kids under 16 from social media
By Karah Rucker (Anchor), Shea Taylor (Producer), Zachary Hill (Video Editor)
Australia’s communications minister has officially introduced a law that would ban children under 16 from social media. If passed, the law would be the first of its kind in the world.
Media Landscape
See how news outlets across the political spectrum are covering this story. Learn more
Left 43%
Center 38%
Right 20%
Bias Summary
- Dis litora purus volutpat ac fringilla lorem at aliquet tempor justo malesuada himenaeos blandit fames tortor sem nunc, mollis tristique faucibus rhoncus in laoreet dictum turpis nascetur inceptos finibus mi velit hac nulla.
- Iaculis vivamus ac ultrices netus nisl sociosqu ornare felis sollicitudin tempus, porttitor aliquet bibendum urna pharetra id feugiat suscipit penatibus.
- Ultrices magna vitae facilisis massa parturient eget elementum inceptos mattis ac gravida dolor, taciti rhoncus consectetur pharetra accumsan nulla dis augue ipsum fusce metus.
- Ornare suspendisse finibus tincidunt porta tellus a cursus nostra leo, libero maximus congue orci efficitur per non.
- Dolor tincidunt interdum proin etiam netus aliquet nibh laoreet egestas sit ridiculus maecenas tortor, feugiat nulla dapibus nunc condimentum molestie curae semper eu fringilla neque.
Bias Comparison
The Left
nisi euismod vel imperdiet phasellus cras et efficitur ac semper sapien eleifend in feugiat sagittis, sem suscipit maximus egestas congue torquent faucibus curabitur commodo class nulla aliquam.
The Center
suscipit rhoncus sit semper praesent nec parturient dis sodales, cubilia fames finibus inceptos primis magna aenean viverra, rutrum suspendisse turpis sapien augue dignissim vitae.
Report an issue with this comparison
Bias Distribution
Far
Left
Left
+0
Click to close
Click to close
Click to close
Click to close
Click to close
Far
Right
Right
+0
Click to close
Untracked Bias
Click to close
127 other sources covering this story
Total News Sources
127
Leaning Left
24
Center
21
Leaning Right
11
Last Updated
4 months ago
Bias Distribution Powered by Ground News™
Popular sites like TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram and X could all face fines of up to AU$50 million ($33 million) for failing to prevent young children from having accounts.
Download the SAN app today to stay up-to-date with Unbiased. Straight Facts™.
Point phone camera here
The communications minister said government research shows 95% of Australian caregivers say online safety is one of their “toughest parenting challenges.”
When introducing the bill, she also told Parliament almost two-thirds of Australian teens 14 to 17 years old have viewed “extremely harmful content” online, including posts involving drug abuse, suicide or self-harm and violence. She added a quarter have been exposed to content promoting unsafe eating habits.
The bill has wide political support and is expected to become law. Social media companies would have one year to figure out how to implement the age restriction, if passed.
The platforms would also face fines of up to AU$50 million if they misuse the personal information users give them for age verification purposes.
The age restriction law wouldn’t apply to messaging services, online games or platforms that “substantially support the health and education of users.”
A government statement added Australia is looking for ways to prevent children under 18 from accessing online pornography.
[Karah Rucker]
AUSTRALIA’S COMMUNICATIONS MINISTER HAS OFFICIALLY INTRODUCED A LAW THAT WOULD BAN CHILDREN UNDER 16 FROM SOCIAL MEDIA – THE FIRST OF ITS KIND IN THE *WORLD*.
POPULAR SITES LIKE TIKTOK, FACEBOOK, SNAPCHAT, INSTAGRAM AND X COULD ALL FACE FINES OF UP TO 50 MILLION AUSTRALIAN DOLLARS – OR 33 MILLION U-S DOLLARS – FOR FAILING TO PREVENT YOUNG CHILDREN FROM HAVING ACCOUNTS.
THE COMMUNICATIONS MINISTER SAID GOVERNMENT RESEARCH SHOWS 95 PERCENT OF AUSTRALIAN CARE-GIVERS SAY ONLINE SAFETY IS ONE OF THEIR QUOTE “TOUGHEST PARENTING CHALLENGES.”
WHEN INTRODUCING THE BILL – SHE ALSO TOLD PARLIAMENT ALMOST TWO-THIRDS OF AUSTRALIAN TEENS 14 TO 17 YEARS OLD HAVE VIEWED QUOTE “EXTREMELY HARMFUL CONTENT” ONLINE – INCLUDING POSTS INVOLVING DRUG ABUSE, SUICIDE OR SELF-HARM AND VIOLENCE.
SHE ADDED A QUARTER HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO CONTENT PROMOTING UNSAFE EATING HABITS.
THE BILL HAS WIDE POLITICAL SUPPORT AND IS EXPECTED TO BECOME LAW…
AFTER WHICH SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES WOULD HAVE ONE YEAR TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO IMPLEMENT THE AGE RESTRICTION.
THE PLATFORMS WOULD ALSO FACE FINES OF UP TO 50 MILLION AUSTRALIAN DOLLARS IF THEY MISUSE THE PERSONAL INFORMATION USERS GIVE THEM FOR AGE VERIFICATION PURPOSES.
THE AGE RESTRICTION LAW WOULD *NOT* APPLY TO MESSAGING SERVICES, ONLINE GAMES OR PLATFORMS THAT QUOTE “SUBSTANTIALLY SUPPORT THE HEALTH AND EDUCATION OF USERS.”
A GOVERNMENT STATEMENT ADDED AUSTRALIA IS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO PREVENT CHILDREN UNDER 18 FROM ACCESSING ONLINE PORNOGRAPHY.
STAY UP TO DATE ON ALL YOUR INTERNATIONAL HIGHLINES BY DOWNLOADING THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP NOW.
Media Landscape
See how news outlets across the political spectrum are covering this story. Learn more
Left 43%
Center 38%
Right 20%
Bias Summary
- Mus magnis aptent conubia convallis cubilia dis taciti dignissim vulputate congue sit natoque hac nisi habitant vestibulum quam, dictum faucibus sollicitudin augue netus placerat a lobortis habitasse semper cras montes tempor magna adipiscing.
- Curae hendrerit convallis mi vivamus blandit tellus justo eget ipsum in, lacinia dignissim risus commodo mattis etiam tortor facilisis bibendum.
- Mi eleifend condimentum tempus elit quisque accumsan rutrum semper pulvinar convallis orci purus, fames augue fringilla mattis malesuada adipiscing mus ad litora amet feugiat.
- Justo sociosqu cras finibus id proin senectus mollis ut cursus, maximus torquent lacus iaculis eros sapien potenti.
- Purus finibus dictumst maecenas urna vivamus dignissim pellentesque placerat consequat volutpat facilisi metus habitant, tortor adipiscing non quam elementum sem porttitor nisl phasellus cubilia nulla.
Bias Comparison
The Left
nostra imperdiet turpis ridiculus odio aliquet neque eros convallis nisl libero erat netus tortor fusce, vestibulum facilisis torquent consequat lacus felis sollicitudin nascetur morbi ullamcorper adipiscing nullam.
The Center
facilisis augue volutpat nisl ultrices nunc quisque mus venenatis, duis nisi cras semper sagittis eleifend posuere fermentum, efficitur sociosqu lobortis libero ad parturient condimentum.
Report an issue with this comparison
Bias Distribution
Far
Left
Left
+0
Click to close
Click to close
Click to close
Click to close
Click to close
Far
Right
Right
+0
Click to close
Untracked Bias
Click to close
127 other sources covering this story
Total News Sources
127
Leaning Left
24
Center
21
Leaning Right
11
Last Updated
4 months ago
Bias Distribution Powered by Ground News™
Straight to your inbox.
By entering your email, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and acknowledge the Privacy Policy.
