Topline
A ban on social media for children under 16—which drew criticism from social media companies and leaders—passed the Australian senate on Thursday, poising it to become the world’s first law designed to keep young children off of social media.
The Australian ban will give social media companies one year to determine how to best implement the … [+]
Key Facts
The ban—which would allow Australia to fine companies for not preventing children younger than 16 from having accounts—passed 34 to 19 on Thursday after passing the House 102 to 13 on Wednesday, the Associated Press reported.
It’s expected to quickly become law, when it will give social media companies one year to prevent those under the age limit from having accounts or otherwise risk being fined $33 million.
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised the law in an opinion piece Tuesday, positioning “Australia to lead the world” in the safety of young people.
Critics of the bill in the government expressed concerns it was rushed, and one independent lawmaker said it was a “blunt instrument” that would not actually hold social media companies accountable.
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Crucial Quote
“This Bill puts the onus on social media companies—not young people, not their parents,” Albanese wrote in his opinion piece. He added the bill is about “making it clear that social media companies have a social responsibility. And sending a message to all those Mums and Dads who are worried about the impact that social media is having on their children’s wellbeing, their mental health, their confidence and sense of self.”
Chief Critics
Earlier this week, social media companies filed submissions with the Australian government urging it to delay the bill. Google and Meta asked them to wait until they complete an age-verification trial and said without more information on how to enforce such an age cutoff the “bill is inconsistent and ineffective,” Reuters reported. TikTok said in a statement it saw “a range of serious, unresolved problems” with the bill that could have “unintended consequences for all Australians.” Last Thursday, X’s owner Elon Musk said on the platform the bill “seems like a backdoor way to control access to the Internet by all Australians.”
Key Background
The legislation was introduced just last Thursday, with Albanese saying at the time it was “landmark reform” and while they expected some kids to find “workarounds,” the government was “sending a message to social media companies to clean up their act.” Though Australia’s law would be the strictest yet to limit social media use for teens, it’s not the only: a number of countries have tried to implement similar limits.
Where Else Are There Limits On Children Using Social Media?
The U.S. has the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule that requires children under 13 to provide parental consent in order for technology companies to collect data, and the European Union passed the Digital Services Act last year that attempted to give kids more protection online and prevented platforms from targeting minors with personalized ads. Earlier this year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law that prohibited children under 14 from having social media accounts, though that law is facing legal challenges. In March, Utah’s Gov. Spencer Cox signed laws that require social media companies to verify users’ ages and disable features, including autoplay and notifications, on youth accounts—though the law was temporarily blocked in October because of legal challenges. Ohio, Arkansas, California and more have introduced or passed similar legislation, but they have all faced legal challenges from groups alleging the child safety laws violate constitutional rights.
What We Don’t Know
Details of implementation. Australia’s eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant is tasked will sorting out its implementation of an age-verification system that may use biometrics or government identification to verify users’ ages—a method some critics have said raise privacy concerns, NBC News reported. Inman Grant told The New York Times age verification technology is advancing quickly and said she believes tech companies will find a way to comply, noting, “If they can target you for advertising, they can use the same technology and know-how to identify and verify the age of a child.”