Children will be able to use social networks from the age of 16
The craze of social media on phones has increased so much among people that even small children are affected. Smartphone addiction is now common among children. Children spend more time on social media on phones than in studies and are moving away from physical activity. In view of this behavior among children, Australia has banned the use of social media for those under 16 years of age. Children under this age will not be able to create accounts on social networks. This important information has been shared by the country’s own Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says social media platforms are harming our children and I want to put an end to it. According to him, technology companies have ignored the safety of children and have failed at it. Even before this, Prime Minister Anthony had talked about imposing an age limit on the use of social media.
When will the law be introduced?
Prime Minister Anthony told the media that the Parliament session will begin on November 18 and this law related to social media will be introduced in the last two weeks. This age limit will reportedly apply 12 months after the law is passed. According to this, children under 16 years of age will not be able to create their accounts on X, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook. Now this social media platform will have to decide how to keep children under 16 from using it. Premier Anthony says he has spoken to the children’s parents and guardians and they are concerned about their children’s safety.
What is the provision on this?
According to reports, if anyone is found breaking this rule, they will be punished for it. In fact, for this, not the parents but the child will be considered guilty and he will also be punished. This way, children will be able to stay away from social media platforms and apart from focusing on their studies, they will also be able to participate in physical activities.
What did the social media companies say?
Antigone Davis, head of security at Meta, owner of Facebook and Instagram, has spoken out about this rule. He said on behalf of the company that they will respect any age limit. Davis said there is a lack of deep discussion about how we implement security. While X has not given an immediate statement on the matter and TikTok declined to comment. Sunita Bose, CEO of Digital Industry Group Inc. (DIGI), an Australian digital industry advocacy group, said that rather than imposing a ban, we must take a balanced view to provide digital literacy and protect children from damage from these platforms.
