Daily TribuneCrackdown on sites like Facebook, Instagram and X would lead to ‘better outcomes and less harm for young Australians.’
Students look at their phones in Australia, where the government has passed a law banning social media for those under 16
William WEST / AFP
MELBOURNE (AFP) — Social media giants on Friday hit out at a landmark Australian law banning them from signing up under-16s, describing it as a rush job littered with “many unanswered questions.”
The United Nations children’s charity UNICEF Australia warned the law was no “silver bullet” against online harm and could push kids into “covert and unregulated” spaces online.
The legislation, approved by parliament on Thursday, orders social media firms to take “reasonable steps” to prevent young teens from having accounts.
It is due to come into effect after a year.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the age limit may not be implemented perfectly — much like existing restrictions on alcohol — but it was “the right thing to do.”
The crackdown on sites like Facebook, Instagram and X would lead to “better outcomes and less harm for young Australians,” he told reporters.
Platforms have a “social responsibility” to make children’s safety a priority, Albanese said.
Social media firms that fail to comply with the law face fines of up to Aus$50 million (US$32.5 million) for “systemic breaches.”
TikTok said it was “disappointed” in the law, accusing the government of ignoring mental health, online safety and youth experts who had opposed the ban.
“It’s entirely likely the ban could see young people pushed to darker corners of the internet where no community guidelines, safety tools, or protections exist,” a TikTok spokesperson said.
UNICEF Australia policy chief Katie Maskiell said young people need to be protected online but also included in the digital world.
“This ban risks pushing children into increasingly covert and unregulated online spaces as well as preventing them from accessing aspects of the online world essential to their wellbeing,” she said.
Leo Puglisi, a 17-year-old online journalist based in Melbourne, was critical of the legislation.
He founded streaming channel 6 News, which provides hourly news bulletins on national and international issues, in 2019 at the age of 11.
“We’ve been built up by having 13 to 15-year-olds see 6 News online and then join the team,” Puglisi said in a statement.
