Social media platforms are facing increasing pressure from the community and the regulatory authorities to place restrictions to curb the negative impact on young children due to exposure to these platforms. Countries are actively working on ensuring preventive measures are in place to protect users' mental health and well-being. This can be seen in a radical initiative by the Australian lawmakers who just approved a social ban for children under 16. It is said that failure to meet the requirements would lead to the platform providers facing the consequences, not the children or the parents.
Australia just passed a social media ban for users under the age of 16 in an attempt to protect their mental health
While regulations are aggressively looking for ways to reduce the detrimental impact of social media platforms on young users, Australia has opted for what is said to be radical or probably the strictest regulations against the big platforms. After an intense debate on the step, Australian lawmakers approved the legislation on Thursday to put a social media ban on children under 16.
The aim of this stringent action is to protect the mental health of these young users, as various studies have highlighted how the consumption of social media can severely impact the well-being of children. Social media platforms are now required to implement robust age verification processes in order to avoid being charged heavy fines on account of breaches. The new law would come into effect in 12 months, so the platforms have enough time to take the necessary measures.
The accountability of violations is said to be solely on the platforms, putting immense pressure on the tech companies to ensure compliance and user safety. As highlighted in a Reuters report, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese emphasized that it is taking these measures to preserve childhood and let parents know that the authorities are looking out for their well-being.
The Prime Minister further expressed that while they are aware some children might look for ways to bypass the restrictions imposed, social media platforms are responsible for taking more strict measures. Although no specific platforms are mentioned, we are expecting the law to extend to platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat. There would be exceptions for educational channels such as YouTube, which are considered necessary tools.
Failure to comply with the new legislation could result in fines of up to $50 million AUS (approximately $32.4 million US). While the law requires strict measures, it does not make it mandatory for users to upload IDs for verification in an attempt to balance the law with privacy. Australia is not the only country taking such initiatives; Florida and Norway are also considering similar measures.
While it is said the community at large is in favor of the legislation, Meta has been criticizing the new law, suggesting that it is ineffective due to ambiguity regarding the 'reasonable steps' platforms must take to ensure compliance. While the companies seem to be pushing back such legislation by showing little hope for its scope, there is no denying that it is a huge step by Australian lawmakers to ensure the well-being of young children.
