Canberra [Australia], November 29 : The Australian government, led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, has passed a historic law that sets 16 years as the minimum age for accessing social media.
According to the New York Times, the legislation was passed in the Australian Parliament's lower house on Wednesday, and the bill was passed by the Senate on Thursday with bipartisan support.
In a media release, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland noted that the decision follows extensive consultations with young people, parents and carers, academics and child development experts, as well as community, industry, and civil organisations.
"Our decision to set the minimum age at 16 years is based on extensive consultation with experts, parents and young people. It strikes a balance between minimising harms experienced by young people during a critical period of development," Minister of Communication Michelle Rowland had said.
As per the New York Times, PM Albanese, while speaking about the law, said it puts the onus on social media platforms to take "reasonable steps" to prevent anyone under 16 from having an account. Corporations could face fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars (about $32 million) for "systemic" failures to implement age requirements.
The law specifies that users will not be forced to provide government identification as part of the verification process, a measure that the conservative opposition said was included after they raised concerns about privacy rights, the New York Times reported.
Notably, it is unclear which platforms will be covered under the law. PM Albanese has said that Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, and X will be included, but YouTube and messaging apps, including WhatsApp, are expected to be exempt, the New York Times reported.
In a press statement, the Prime Minister stated that the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024 would deliver greater protections for young Australians during critical stages of their development.
It will require social media platforms to take reasonable steps to prevent users under 16 from having accounts. The law places the onus on social media platforms, not parents or young people, to take reasonable steps to ensure these protections are in place, the press statement noted.
"We need to do everything we can to keep our kids safe, and wherever I go in Australia, I know one of the biggest issues worrying mums and dads is the impact social media is having on their children's well being", Anthony Albanese had said earlier.
The media release also noted that the government will ensure young Australians retain access to services that primarily provide education and health services and will work constructively with stakeholders to ensure that only services which meet the strict criteria under eSafety's powers are accessible to children under 16.
"Social media has a social responsibility for the safety of their users, and this legislation is one way they're being held to account, with significant penalties for any breaches", Rowland said.
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