Sydney:
Under new laws to be debated in Australia’s Parliament on Thursday, social media companies could be fined more than US$30 million if they fail to keep children away from social media. . This world-first law will force social media firms to take steps towards preventing children under 16 from accessing platforms like X, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram.
If companies fail to impose ban, they will have to pay fine
If companies are not successful in this and are not able to keep children under 16 years of age away from social media, then they can be fined up to 50 million Australian dollars (32.5 million US dollars). Let us tell you that Australia is one of those countries which is trying to make social media clean. The age limit proposed in the new law will be one of the toughest measures in the world for children.
It is currently unclear how companies will implement this.
No clear information has been revealed yet regarding how social media companies will be expected to implement this ban. The proposed law, which will be introduced in Parliament on Thursday, would also include stronger privacy provisions, requiring tech platforms to delete any age-verification information collected.
Privacy provisions will also be included in the law
The proposed law to be introduced in Parliament on Thursday would also include stronger privacy provisions, requiring tech platforms to delete any age-verification information collected. Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said on Thursday that social media companies have a responsibility to the “safety and mental health” of Australians. “This law puts the responsibility of ensuring safety on social media platforms, not on parents or children,” he said.
This restriction will not be on some companies
However, some companies will not be kept under this ban such as YouTube because it is used by children for their school work and for many other reasons. Social media, once created to stay connected, are now becoming infamous due to claims of cyber crime, spread of illegal content and interference in elections. If this law is passed, all tech platforms will be given a grace period of one year so that they can come up with a plan to ban it.
Social media companies said this
Social media companies have said they will comply with the new law, but have warned the government against taking action hastily and without adequate consultation. Analysts have also expressed doubt that it would be technically possible to impose strict age restrictions.
