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Legislation to ban social media for under-16s has been introduced in the Australian Parliament. The country’s Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, confirmed the plan to limit children’s use of social media earlier this month, and the bill has now been presented to lawmakers. Reuters Reports.
Many jurisdictions will be watching the proceedings with interest, as concerns about the influence of social media platforms on young minds remain widespread. The UK government on Wednesday launched a study to investigate children’s use of smartphones and social media, with the country’s technology minister even saying he would not rule out an Australian-style ban.
Australia’s approach is to push platforms to use age verification – including biometric or government-issued ID verification – to prevent minors from accessing such services. Fines of up to $32 million are proposed for regulatory violations, and privacy protections are rated as “strong.”
Albanese said the government recognized that some children would find alternative solutions, but stressed that the “landmark reform” was about “sending a message to social media companies to correct their behaviour”.
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