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In a move likely to be followed around the world, Australia has approved legislation banning the use of social media by children under 16. The bill was introduced only about a week ago but was supported by the main opposition conservative party as well as the Conservative Party. Centre-left government due to concerns that technology services negatively impact children’s wellbeing.
The ban is expected to go into effect in November 2025, per Reuters. At that point, social media platforms in the market will need to be able to demonstrate that they are taking “reasonable steps” to ensure age verification to prevent minors from accessing their services. Otherwise, they could face fines of up to about $32 million.
Australian lawmakers have ignored petitions from tech giants including Google and Meta to postpone the ban until the end of the age verification trial. This is scheduled to take place approximately in the middle of next year. But in a last-minute privacy-focused amendment, a Senate committee added a requirement that social media platforms should not force users to provide personal data such as a passport or other digital ID in order to prove their age.
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