Social Media Ban in Australia: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters in Canberra on Thursday (November 7), “Social media is harming our children. I want to ban it.” He promised to introduce a law in this regard later this month.
Social Media Ban in Australia: Now people under the age of 16 will not be able to use social media in Australia. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Thursday (November 7) that children under the age of 16 will be banned from social media in Australia to protect the mental health of youth. Also, the concerned companies will have to implement the new rules or they may have to pay a fine. According to the Prime Minister, a related bill will be introduced in the Australian Parliament this year.
Albanese said that the responsibility will be on social media platforms to show that they are taking appropriate steps to prevent access. The responsibility will not be on parents or young people. Prime Minister Albanese told reporters in Canberra on Thursday, “Social media is harming our children. I am asking for time on this.” He promised to introduce legislation in Parliament later this month.
“The onus will be on social media platforms to show they are taking reasonable steps to prevent access. The onus will not be on parents or young people. There will be no penalties for users,” Albanese said.
Action will be taken against companies
Australia has a history of taking action against big tech companies running social media sites, including pressuring Facebook and Google to pay for news content in 2021.
Recently, the government dragged Elon Musk’s X Corp to court for its failure to remove a video of a terrorist attack in Sydney. Labor is also considering new legislation to force social media sites to crack down on misinformation and misleading information on their platforms.
The Albanese government said it had consulted social media companies through various means on the age limit. However, officials did not say which websites these changes would apply to. Whether they have received assurances that the ban can be implemented or what the potential size of penalties for companies could be.
These countries are also preparing for a ban
The Australian PM said he did not believe the laws would be fully effective. Or fix the problem immediately. He also pointed to alcohol restrictions that have failed to prevent underage drinking. Several European countries have also introduced or are considering age-based restrictions on social media to address mental health and safety concerns among young users.
A minimum age for social media of 16 years will make a difference. pic.twitter.com/VfNSY17hsg
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) November 6, 2024
In France, parental consent is now required for social media users under the age of 15. Some proposals recommend banning children under the age of 13 from smartphones and setting strict limits for people under 18 on platforms such as TikTok or Instagram. The UK is also considering regulations to limit the sale of smartphones to individuals over the age of 16.
