Australia passes a law banning social media for children under 16 years of age.

The Australian government led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has passed a historic law. It sets the minimum age of social media users at 16 years. The law was passed in the lower house of the Australian Parliament on Wednesday, and on Thursday the Senate passed the bill with bipartisan support.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said the decision came after extensive consultation with young people, parents and carers, academics and child development experts, as well as community, industry, and civic organizations.

Advice taken from people from different fields

Communications Minister Michel Rolland said, "Our decision to set the minimum age at 16 is based on extensive consultation with experts, parents and young people. It strikes a balance between minimizing the harm experienced by young people at a crucial stage of their development."

$32 million fine

According to media reports, PM Albanese, speaking about the law, said that it puts the responsibility on social media platforms to take appropriate steps to prevent anyone under the age of 16 from creating an account. Corporations can be fined up to 49.5 million Australian dollars (about $32 million) for systematic failures to enforce age requirements.

Which platforms will be covered under the law?

The law specifies that users will not be forced to provide government identification as part of the verification process. It is unclear which platforms will be covered under the law. PM Albanese has said Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram and X will be included, but YouTube and messaging apps including WhatsApp are expected to be exempt.

The Prime Minister said that the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024 will provide greater protection to young Australians during critical stages of their development. This will require social media platforms to take appropriate steps to prevent users under the age of 16 from creating accounts.

Responsibility on social media platforms

The press statement states that the law puts the responsibility on social media platforms, not on parents or young people, to take appropriate steps to ensure these protections. Anthony Albanese said that we need to do everything possible to keep our children safe, and wherever I go in Australia, I know that mothers and fathers are most concerned about the impact of social media on their children's health.

User safety is a social responsibility

The media release also said that the government will ensure that young Australians continue to have access to services that provide education and health services, primarily by ensuring that only those services are accessible to children under the age of 16 that meet strict e-safety criteria. Rowland said social media has a social responsibility to protect its users, and this law is a way to hold them accountable, with heavy penalties for any violations.