Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Thursday what he called a “world-leading” plan to implement a social media ban for all children under 16. Many of the details of the proposed legislation have not yet been disclosed, but the Australian government said in a press conference that the bill would include an age verification process and that social media platforms would have “no access”. “We have the burden of proving that we have taken reasonable steps to prevent this.”
Under proposed legislation, social media companies would face hefty fines if they allow young children to access their platforms, but users who flout the law or their parents would be fined. There are no penalties, the Australian government said in a statement.
“Social media is having a negative impact on children, so I’m going to take my time,” Albanese declared Thursday. “I have spoken to thousands of parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles who, like me, are deeply concerned about their children’s safety online. We want everyone to know that we support them.”
Mick Tsikas/AAP Image via AP
The government said the proposed legislation would not allow exemptions for children whose parents have consented to their use of social media platforms. The bill also would not include a “grandparenting agreement” that would allow exemptions for young people who already have social accounts.
Australian Communications Minister Michelle Rowland told reporters that social media companies are being consulted on how such a ban would be enforced in practice, and the platforms likely to be affected by the bill. He cited Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, X, and YouTube.
CBS News has contacted all five social media companies for comment on the Australian government’s plans.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, said in a statement that the company has already created several services. safety tools This service is for teenagers.
“There is a solution that would counteract many of these concerns and simplify things immeasurably for parents. Parental consent and age verification should be done in the app store. And Australia should legislate it. “We believe that this is the case,” the company said.
Last month, a coalition of more than 140 Australian and international experts signed an open letter to Albanians outlining concerns about the proposed age limit.
“The online world is a place for children and young people to access information, develop social and technical skills, connect with family and friends, learn about the world around them, relax and play,” the letter said. It is written. “We are concerned that a ‘ban’ is too blunt a measure to effectively address the risks.”
In April, a bipartisan group of U.S. senators, including Republican Ted Cruz of Texas and Democrat Brian Schatz of Hawaii, among other provisions: The bill would prohibit people from creating or maintaining media accounts. “Practices of Major Social Media Companies,” “Prohibiting Social Media Companies from Using Algorithms to Recommend Content to Users Under 17.”
The U.S. Surgeon General’s 2023 recommendations said reducing or eliminating social media exposure for a month or more has mental health benefits for children and teens.
Most social media companies have policies in place that prohibit children under the age of 13 from opening accounts, but a 2022 study conducted by British media regulator Ofcom found that nearly 80% of children in the country were found to have social media accounts by the age of 12.
Alex Sundby contributed to this report.
