The Australian government is moving closer to banning social media for children under 16, with the lower house of Parliament passing a bill that would impose strict controls on social media platforms. The bill aims to protect the physical and mental health of children by forcing companies to implement age-verification protections, with fines of up to $32 million for breaches. Google and Meta are urging the government to delay the legislation, while TikTok and X also expressed concerns about the impact on children’s rights.
The ban was proposed following a parliamentary inquiry into social media, where parents of children who had self-harmed due to cyberbullying gave emotional testimonies. However, there is vigorous debate surrounding the ban, with youth advocates arguing it could cut children off from important connections and parent groups questioning whether under-16s are too young to navigate the digital world. Despite opposition from some lawmakers, polling shows that the public overwhelmingly supports the ban.
The Australian Human Rights Commission and some lawmakers have raised concerns about the ban violating children’s rights to self-expression and participation in society. While Prime Minister Albanese’s Labor government secured bipartisan support for the bill, it still faces opposition from the Greens and some far-right lawmakers. The government plans to trial an age-verification system to enforce the ban, potentially using biometrics or government identification.
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