Australia Becomes First Nation To Stop Children From Using Social Media With Landmark Law

The Australian Government has done what no other nation was able to do and that includes restricting children from using social media.

The country passed the law that was first drafted after the country’s Labor PM stated there was a clear link between poor mental health in the Australian youth and the rise of social media usage. The Senate passed the bill with 34 votes to 19. This means those below the age of 16 cannot use social media apps.

Now, some politicians feel that such a ban could actually have a reverse effect. It might lead teens to resort to the dark web or even make them feel like they have no one to turn to, increasing issues such as isolation.

Other advocates think the matter was too rushed and if anyone was asked to prove age, it would lead to social media firms being given valuable personal data. This is also where Elon Musk stepped in to have his say.

The bill bans all apps from giving access to those below 16. This threatened firms with fines of more than $30M USD if they didn’t comply with the law passed. But there are similarly no details on how this entire ordeal will work. Only companies would be expected to take reasonable measures to ensure users are 16 and above.

More details will arise later but there is also much tech talk that gives apps age assurance. It’s also important to note how the bill will come into play only after a year. Moreover, the bill also does not specify which firms would need to comply. As per the communications minister, many leading tech giants like Facebook, X, Instagram, and Snap would be a part of the banned list. Also, YouTube won’t be included because it offers plenty of educational benefits.

The number of replies on this matter has given rise to numerous social media debates and discussions seen mainly on X. As per him, it was a backdoor means to gain access to the web by Australians. But this isn’t the first time that Musk clashed with the country’s government. We saw in the past how Musk was ordered to get rid of graphic content and put an end to the great number of lies spread across social media apps.

Image: DIW-Aigen

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by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World