Australia made the law.
The Australian government led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese passed a landmark law. In this, the minimum age of social media users has been set at 16 years. The legislation was passed in the lower house of the Australian Parliament on Wednesday and on Thursday the Senate passed the bill with bipartisan support.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said the decision was made following extensive consultation with young people, parents and carers, academics and child development experts, as well as community, industry and civic organisations. .
Advice taken from people from different fields.
Communications Minister Michel Rolland had said that our decision to set the minimum age at 16 is based on extensive consultation with experts, parents and young people. This strikes a balance between minimizing the disadvantages experienced by young people at a critical period of development.
$32 million fine
According to media reports, Prime Minister Albanese, speaking about the law, said it places a responsibility on social media platforms to take appropriate measures to prevent anyone under the age of 16 from creating an account. Corporations could be fined up to 49.5 million Australian dollars (about $32 million) for systematically failing to comply with age requirements.
What platforms will be included under the law
The law specifies that users will not be required to provide government identification as part of the verification process. It is unclear which platforms will be covered by the law. Premier Albany has said Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram and X will be included, but YouTube and messaging apps including WhatsApp are expected to be exempt.
The Prime Minister said the Online Safety Amendment (Minimum Age on Social Media) Bill 2024 will provide greater protection for young Australians during critical stages of their development. To do this, social media platforms must take appropriate measures to prevent users under 16 years of age from creating accounts.
Responsibility on social media platforms
The news release said the law places the responsibility on social media platforms, not parents or youth, to take appropriate steps to ensure these protections. Anthony Albanese said we should do everything we can to keep our children safe and wherever I go in Australia I know mums and dads are most concerned about what social media is doing to their children.
User safety, social responsibility
The media release also said the government will ensure young Australians continue to have access to services, primarily education and health. Ensure that only those services that meet strict electronic security standards are accessible to children under 16 years of age. Rowland said social networks have a social responsibility to protect their users, and this law is a way to hold them accountable, with strong penalties for any violations.
