Australia is preparing to pass an unprecedented law restricting children’s access to social networks. The government has submitted a bill to parliament that would ban the use of social media platforms by people under 16 years of age and would introduce strict measures to control them, Reuters reports. The new bill could be the strictest in the world.
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the initiative a “landmark reform”, saying: “We know some kids will find ways around it, but we’re sending a message to social media companies to get their act together.” As Reuters clarifies, in case of systematic violations, social networks face fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars ($32 million).
The proposed age limit is the highest in the world, does not require parental consent and also applies to existing accounts. At the same time, access to educational and medical online services, such as Google Classroom, YouTube or Headspace, instant messengers and online games will be preserved. The restrictions will only affect platforms such as Instagram✴, Facebook✴, TikTok, Snapchat, X.
To enforce age restrictions, Australia plans to test an age verification system that could include biometrics or government identification. The law would force social platforms, not parents, to take action to enforce the rules. Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said: “Social media has a social responsibility, so we are making major changes to hold platforms accountable for user safety.”
The government’s main argument was concern about the physical and mental health of children. Rowland noted that “nearly two thirds of 14-17 year olds have been exposed to extremely harmful content such as drug promotion, suicide or self-harm.” According to her, the responsibility for enforcing age restrictions will rest entirely with the platforms, and not with parents or children themselves.
It is worth saying that the Australian approach is one of the toughest in the world. By comparison, France last year proposed a ban for children under 15, but with a way to bypass it through parental consent. The US has had a rule for decades requiring companies to obtain parental consent to collect data from children under 13.