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Australia has set an example for other jurisdictions across the world with one of the strictest restrictions targeting Big Tech, banning social media for children under the age of 16 following an emotional debate that has captivated the country. The ban was implemented on Thursday.
Fines for Non-Compliance
Tech companies including Meta (META.O), which owns Instagram Facebook, and TikTok are facing fines of up to A$49.5 million ($32 million) if they don’t block minors from using their services. In January, we will begin testing potential enforcement measures; the ban is scheduled to go into action one year from now.
Australia Takes a Stand on Mental Health
With the Social Media Minimum Age Bill, Australia has become the latest country to take a stand against the negative effects of social media on young people’s mental health. A number of other governments have already approved or indicated their intention to pass similar laws.
Some U.S. states and some countries have rules that make it harder for minors to get in without a parent’s permission, but Australia’s law is the strictest. On the basis of free speech, a comprehensive ban on minors in Florida is being challenged in court.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who is running for reelection in 2025 despite falling approval ratings, scored a political victory with the law’s passage on the final day of parliament. Despite pushback from privacy campaigners and certain child rights organizations, recent polls show that 77% of the population supports the prohibition.
The ban was supported by domestic media outlets, including News Corp (NWSA.O), the largest newspaper publisher in the country and owned by Rupert Murdoch, as part of their “Let Them Be Kids” campaign, in the midst of a parliamentary inquiry that will continue until 2024 and hear testimony from parents whose children had self-harmed as a result of bullying on social media.
Tech Industry Response
In a post this month, X owner Elon Musk, a major figure in the administration of President-elect Donald Trump, said that the ban appeared to be a “backdoor way to control access to the Internet by all Australians,” which might put pressure on Australia’s relationship with its main partner, the United States.
It also adds to the negative feelings that exist between Australia and tech companies that are mostly based in the US. Australian authorities intend to sanction social media companies if they do not do enough to combat fraud; the country was the pioneer in requiring such companies to pay royalties to media outlets when users share their content
The Facebook owner, according to a representative from Meta, respected Australian law but was “concerned” about the procedure that “rushed the legislation through while failing to properly consider the evidence, what industry already does to ensure age-appropriate experiences, and the voices of young people.”
“The next step is to have fruitful discussions about Bill’s regulations to find a workable solution that won’t be too hard for parents and teens to implement, and we need to make sure that the rules are uniformly applied to all of the social media apps that teens use,” the representative stated.
According to an email from a Snap representative, the parent company of Snapchat (SNAP.N) has expressed serious concerns with the proposed legislation in Australia but has opened a new tab to comply with the rules and regulations of the country.
“Although numerous questions remain regarding the practical implementation of this law, we are committed to working closely with the government and the eSafety Commissioner over the next 12 months to find a solution that strikes a balance between privacy, safety, and practicality,” stated the spokesperson.
The government has indicated that the ban will impact TikTok and X, but representatives from those companies were unavailable for comment at the time of this writing.
The corporations, notably Alphabet’s (GOOGL.O) YouTube, argued that the legislation should be delayed until after the age verification experiment. YouTube is excluded from the legislation due to its widespread use in schools.
“It’s cart before horse,” remarked Sunita Bose, managing director of Digital Industry Group, a group that includes the majority of social media companies.
In an interview with Reuters, Bose clarified that while the bill is in the works, the Australian government has not yet provided any guidelines regarding the appropriate approaches that the many services affected by the law should take.
Concerns Over Vulnerable Youth Populations
Scholars and youth advocacy organizations raised concerns that the ban may isolate already vulnerable youth populations, such as LGBTQIA and migrant youth. According to the Australian Human Rights Commission, the legislation might violate youth human rights by limiting their opportunities to be involved in society.
However, many who fight for individuals’ right to privacy have expressed concerns that the bill could pave the way for increased government monitoring based on digital identity and the subsequent influx of personal data. An amendment to the bill was made at the last minute, and now platforms are required to provide customers with an option other than uploading identification documents.
“This is boomers trying to tell young people how the internet should work to make themselves feel better,” Sarah Hanson-Young, a senator for the left-leaning Greens, said in a late Senate session immediately before the bill was passed by a vote of 34 to 19.
The remarks of U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, who stated in 2023 that social media was worsening a child’s mental health crisis to the extent that it should be accompanied by a health warning, were used by parent organizations to advocate for intervention.
Ali Halkic, an anti-bullying activist from Australia, spoke out after the tragic death of her son Allem, 17, in 2009, due to the effects of cyberbullying. “Putting an age limit and giving the control back to the parents, I think it’s a starting point,” she said.
Even though a complete ban may lead young people to less visible and more dangerous portions of the internet, Enie Lam, a school student from Sydney who just turned sixteen, stated that social media led to body image issues and cyberbullying.
“It will only create a generation of young people who will be more technologically literate in bypassing these walls,” she told Reuters. “It won’t achieve the desired effects.”
“We all know social media isn’t good for us but the social media ban generally sees a lot of young people who are strongly against it.”
