28-11-2024 (CANBERRA) The Australian Senate has approved stringent legislation barring children under 16 from creating social media accounts, despite mounting questions about its practical enforcement.
The groundbreaking measure, championed by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s Labour government and supported by the Liberal-National Opposition, sailed through Parliament’s upper house on Thursday. The legislation, among the world’s most restrictive social media regulations, establishes a one-year implementation timeline before taking effect.
Under the new framework, popular platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok will be prohibited from allowing users under 16 to establish new accounts. Tech giants failing to enforce these restrictions face substantial penalties, with fines reaching up to A$50 million.
Public sentiment appears to strongly favour the measure, with recent YouGov polling indicating 77% of Australians support the social media ban. However, the swift passage of the legislation has drawn criticism from parliamentarians across the political spectrum, who express concern over the abbreviated deliberation period.
Industry giants have mounted fierce opposition to the new requirements. Meta, Facebook’s parent company, challenged the legislation’s practicality, particularly regarding age verification technology. The most vigorous protest emerged from X (formerly Twitter), with owner Elon Musk suggesting the measure could serve as a “backdoor way to control access to the Internet by all Australians.” The company has hinted at potential legal challenges, questioning the legislation’s lawfulness.
Critics note that whilst the law mandates strict enforcement, it leaves crucial technical details unaddressed, particularly regarding age verification mechanisms. Tech companies must now grapple with implementing robust systems to comply with the legislation whilst navigating privacy concerns and technical limitations.
