Sydney: Australia introduced a draft law Thursday that would ban children under 16 from accessing social media, aiming to tackle online harm among minors. Communications Minister Michelle Rowland emphasized the need for the law, citing statistics that two-thirds of teens aged 14 – 17 have encountered harmful content online.
According to Anadolu Agency, Rowland highlighted that keeping Australians safe online is a top priority for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s government, underscoring dangers such as content promoting drug abuse and self-harm. The legislation is set to apply to major social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat.
The proposed draft would require social media companies to implement age-verification systems within a year. Elon Musk, owner of X, joined the debate by suggesting that the measure might serve as a backdoor method to control internet access for all Australians, referencing Albanese’s support for the law.
Additionally, the legislation proposes hefty
fines of up to AU$50 million ($32 million) for platforms that fail to comply with the new regulations.