If you watch Ozzie PM Anthony Albanese, with his eyes welling up, you can see he is deadly serious about introducing this social media ban for teenagers as he emotionally declares, 'This one is for the Mums & Dads'.
He's proposing legislation setting a minimum age limit of 16 years for social media use. This move comes with potential penalties for online platforms that fail to comply with the new regulations.One thing is sure though, Australia intends to be the first in the world to make social illegal for underage users.
The Labor government, led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, faces several challenges in implementing this policy:
The Coalition opposition is pushing for a rapid passage of the bill through parliament. This initiative is part of the government's nationwide efforts to increase scrutiny on major tech platforms.
Government's Stance
Prime Minister Albanese and Communications Minister Michelle Rowland have confirmed the proposed age limit at a recent press conference.
This proposal represents a significant step in regulating social media access for young Australians. It raises important questions about implementation, privacy, and the balance between protection and access to digital platforms.
Prime Minister Albanese says the responsibility for enforcing these new restrictions will fall on social media companies. They have to prove they are implementing reasonable measures to prevent users under 16 from accessing their services.
The focus is on holding the platforms accountable rather than penalising individual users or their parents. Communications Minister Rowland clarified that underage users who circumvent these restrictions won't face consequences, but social media companies that fail to comply will be subject to penalties. A carrot and a stick approach.
Russell Brand, 49, claims the move was an act of 'legitimising mass censorship'. 'In Australia, social media is being incredibly restricted - under 16s won't be allowed on it,' Brand said.
He said 'as a parent' he could see how preventing children from accessing social media might 'in some ways be sensible on the surface'. He questioned 'at some point' the laws would be used to introduce more widespread rules on other parts of the population.
Meta — the parent company of Facebook and Instagram — places responsibility for policing age verification to rest with app stores, rather than individual platforms such as theirs.
“If every single app is required to implement its own age-appropriate controls, then the burden really is going to fall on young people and parents for each of the different apps that a young person wants to use,” Meta’s Australia and New Zealand Policy director Mia Garlick.
For Parents Kids, Tweens & Teenagers
The proposed age limit for social media access in Australia is already facing significant opposition, with industry pushback expected to intensify. Industry lobbyists will apply all the pressure they can. The proposed age limit will be dropped from 16 to 12 or 13 years of age. Meta, TikTok will concede something to age verification and will be forced to acknowledge the harm done to children and teenagers.
It won't be easy to enforce, but it marks the biggest step in a decade for the illegal use of social media by minors. Remember, it is against the law for kids to use social media under the age of 13 according to their regulations as stated in the portals EULA, (end user license agreement). The plan is to penalise the provider, not the children of the parents for misuse.
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