Wed Nov 27 00:12:10 UTC 2024: **Australia Passes Landmark Bill Banning Children Under 16 from Social Media**
Melbourne, Australia – Australia’s House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a world-first bill on Wednesday, November 27, 2024, that will ban children under 16 from using social media platforms. The bill, backed by major parties, passed with a vote of 102 to 13. It now moves to the Senate for final approval, where its passage is considered highly likely.
The legislation imposes hefty fines of up to A$50 million ($33 million USD) on platforms like TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram for systemic failures in preventing underage users from accessing their services. Platforms will have a one-year grace period to implement age verification measures before penalties are enforced.
Amendments were agreed upon to strengthen privacy protections, preventing platforms from demanding government-issued IDs for verification.
While supporters hail the bill as a crucial step to protect children online, critics have voiced concerns. Opposition lawmakers argued the bill was rushed, ineffective, potentially harmful to children’s privacy, and an infringement on parental rights. Concerns were also raised that the ban could push children towards the dark web and hinder reporting of online harms. Independent lawmaker Zoe Daniel stated the bill was more about political optics than genuine solutions to online safety.
The bill’s swift passage comes despite requests from social media platforms for a delay to allow for a government-commissioned review of age-verification technologies to be completed next June. The Senate is expected to debate the bill later Wednesday.
First Piper 