Australia Plans to Legislate Ban on Social Media Use for Children Under 16 | WPN World People News

On the 27th, the Australian House of Representatives passed a bill, the *Online Safety Amendment Bill*, with 102 votes in favor and 13 against. The bill proposes to ban children under 16 from using social media platforms. The Senate is expected to vote on the bill later this week, and if it passes, Australia will become the first country in the world to implement age restrictions on social media use.

The ban will apply to major global social media platforms, including TikTok, Facebook, X, Snapchat, Instagram, and others. These platforms will have one year to comply with the new rules. Systematic violations could result in fines of up to 50 million AUD.

According to reports, social media platforms have expressed concerns over the Australian government's bill, arguing that the ban on children under 16 using social media was rushed. The platforms were only given 24 hours to submit feedback, and there was a lack of thorough consultation and detailed planning. Additionally, critics argue that the ban could negatively impact children's freedom of speech and access to information.

Australia has been a pioneer in regulating social media, and this bill's proposed age restriction will be one of the strictest child protection measures globally. The draft law also includes strong privacy provisions, requiring tech platforms to delete all age verification data.

Led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, the center-left Labor government hopes to pass the bill this week, aiming to get it through Parliament before the end of the year recess. The bill has garnered support from the opposition Liberal Party and is expected to pass smoothly.