Australia has been tougher on the use of social media by minors than any other country in the world so far: a recently voted draft law bans the use of social media platforms for those under 16, citing the harmful effects on the mental health of young people, which could be a guideline for other governments in the future too. Although some European countries and states in the United States have legislated minimum age limits for social media, none have yet implemented an enforcement system due to legal challenges.
But academics, politicians and advocacy groups say the measure could backfire by driving teenagers to the dark web, who may feel more isolated in the digital space. It is also questionable how the system will work in practice, social media companies will have to request even more personal data due to the requests for age verification.
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The Online Safety Amendment Bill prohibits social media platforms from allowing users under the age of 16 to access their services. Otherwise, companies can be fined up to AUD 50 million (US$32 million) if they don’t take the necessary measures.
However, the draft law does not contain details and does not specify what steps tech companies must take to this end, and most platforms will only start using age verification systems in the middle of 2025, Instagram has already announced its own solution. In any case, the law will not enter into force for another 12 months, until then operators have time to prepare.
The bill also does not name which companies the legislation will specifically apply to, although a statement from Communications Minister Michelle Rowland confirmed that Snapchat, TikTok, X, Instagram, Reddit and Facebook are likely to be affected, but YouTube cannot be spared. on the list, as it is considered an important platform for educational purposes.
Source: www.hwsw.hu
