Social media businesses who violate a proposed prohibition on minors under 16 accessing their services face multimillion dollar fines from the Australian government.
The government has positioned the change to the Online Safety Act as “world-leading social media reform,” and Communications Minister Michelle Rowland announced it in parliament on Thursday.
Rowland said in a statement, “The Albanese Government is introducing world-leading legislation to establish 16 as the minimum age for access to social media.”
“The goal of this reform is to protect youth and let parents know that we have their backs,” she continued.
According to the law, businesses that fail to take “reasonable steps to prevent age-restricted users having accounts” might face fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars ($32.5 million).
Although a list of prohibited services has not yet been made public, it is anticipated that the restriction would extend to social media platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, X, and TikTok.
The bill is supported by both parties and, if approved, would take effect within a year.
“The law puts the responsibility for ensuring protections are in place on social media platforms, not on parents or kids,” Rowland stated. Supporting a safer and healthier online environment for young Australians is the ultimate goal.
The law was passed in response to numerous high-profile child suicides that involved online bullying and parent complaints about the pressure their kids were under to use the internet.
The bill has been praised by many parents and pro-ban activists as a long-overdue step to hold digital corporations accountable for the resources Australian children use online.
The planned prohibition, according to critics, is a blunt tool that will limit minors’ access to support systems and increase the risks for those who disobey the law.
Regarding the dangers of youngsters spending excessive amounts of time online and the need for tech companies to take extra precautions to protect their goods, all sides are in agreement.
The Australia governments also commissioned the UK consortium Age Check Certification Scheme to trial age verification technology, to aid efforts to keep children off social media platforms.
Additionally, it is suggested that providers have a “digital duty of care” to “keep users safe and help prevent online harms.” Similar agreements that enable people to file complaints and authorities to take appropriate action have been adopted in other places.
