Australian Parliament considers law banning kids under 16 from social media

Nov 21, 2024

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Karah Rucker Anchor

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.

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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.

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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.

Tags: Australia, Children, Facebook, Instagram, Internet, Snap, Social Media, teenagers, TikTok, X

[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.

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