Albanians: Social network platforms will have to destroy personal data of younger users

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said today that social media companies will have to destroy personal data used to verify the age of users, as part of Canberra’s plan to ban under-16s from using the platforms.

“There will be very strong and strict privacy requirements to protect users’ personal data, including the obligation to destroy the given information when age is determined,” Albanese said in parliament.

Australia plans to test an age verification system to enforce age restrictions on social media users, Reuters reports.

This ban would affect Instagram and Facebook, the Meta company, the Bytens-owned TikTok network and the X network of businessman Elon Musk, who claims that the aim of this law is to ban access to the networks for all Australians.

Canberra has proposed a higher age limit for users of the networks than any other country, and exemptions with parental permission even for pre-existing accounts will not be allowed.

Platforms face fines of up to $32 million if they fail to comply with the law, and the government plans to pass the bill by the end of the parliamentary year on Thursday.