Tech companies must take “reasonable steps” to prevent minors under 16 from having profiles on social media. If they fail to comply, they face fines of up to $32.5 million.
The Parliament of Australia approved a historic bill that bans the use of social networks for minors under the age of 16, becoming one of the strictest measures of this type in the world.
The initiative enjoyed bipartisan support and accumulated 34 votes for and 19 against in the Australian Senate, a day after being approved by the House of Representatives. Now, the bill will return to that body to approve some amendments before it officially becomes law.
Although other countries have already tried to put an end to the intensive use of social networks among children and teenagers like the United States, It is the first that has reached such a high age limit and also does not establish exemptions for pre-existing accounts or those that have parental authorization.
What do we know about the Australian law which prohibits the use of social networks by minors
The Australian rule approved this week requires social networks to take “reasonable steps” to prevent anyone under the age of 16 in the country from having an account.
It won’t come into effect for another 12 months, so tech companies will have plenty of time to decide how to enforce this age restriction. If they do not respect the law, they will be confronted fines who can reach 50 million Australian dollars (approximately $32.5 million).
Additionally, it will seek to ensure under-17s “have continued access to online messaging and gaming”, as well as health and education services including Headspace, Google Classroom and YouTube.
The initiative does not impose any sanctions on parents or young people.

Why Australia passed a law banning social media for minors
The bill, which arrived in Parliament on November 21, was strongly defended by several Australian authorities.
One of them is the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese who mentioned that this drastic measure It is urgent to protect adolescents from the risks linked to social networks ensuring that its use may harm your mental health and safety.
Before the vote in Parliament, Albanese highlighted that social networks are a space that promotes “peer pressure, a driver of anxiety, a vehicle for scammers and, worst of all, a tool for online predators” .
He also explained that excessive use of the platforms has become a global problem and that he seeks to ensure that minors in Australia “have a fulfilling childhood”. Furthermore, he pointed out that other governments have also made efforts to limit this situation.
“This is a historic reform. “We know some young people will find alternative solutions, but we are sending a message to social media companies to improve their practices. » defended the Australian Prime Minister in a release .

Critics
Although the Australian proposal makes clear that platforms will be responsible for preventing teenagers under the age of 16 from having an account, several questions remain about how this will actually work.
The draft, for example, does not establish which platforms will be part of the ban. According to the BBC, this decision will be made by the Minister for Communications after consultation with the Electronic Safety Commissioner, a regulatory body responsible for ensuring online safety.
According to Albanese, the networks that will be included in this measure are Instagram, TikTok, X and Snapchat .
The Australian government has mentioned that it would be necessary to test the technology, which could include biometrics, to verify the age of users. However, experts believe that there is no guarantee that this can actually work and that the restrictions can also be bypassed with a VPN.
The proposal has also raised various questions from the companies that will be affected. Such Google as Aim owner of Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, They said it was necessary to await the results of an age verification trial before taking legal action.
“Neither the industry nor Australians will understand the nature or extent of the old age guarantee required by the bill, nor the impact of these measures on Australians,” they said from Meta.
While Elon Musk the tycoon who controls X (formerly Twitter), argued that the measure is “a secret way to control access to the internet for all Australians.”
Criticism also focused on the speed with which the proposal was approved. Matt Canavan, a senator who opposed the bill, said about 15,000 proposals were submitted in 25 hours and only a few were considered in Parliament.
“This is an extremely complex area that needs to be considered carefully and not in the rushed way that has affected this process,” he said before voting against the initiative.
Source: Latercera

I am David Jack and I have been working in the news industry for over 10 years. As an experienced journalist, I specialize in covering sports news with a focus on golf. My articles have been published by some of the most respected publications in the world including The New York Times and Sports Illustrated.