Australia passes social media ban on children under 16, becomes first country to take such measure

The Australian Senate passed a law banning children under 16 from using social media on Thursday (Nov. 28). It becomes the first country in the world to have such legislation. 

The ban will not take effect for at least 12 months and could see tech companies get fined up to A$50 million if they do not abide by it. 

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the legislation is needed to protect young people from the "harms" of social media, an issue that has been raised by many parent groups. 

Meanwhile, critics have been questioning how the ban would work and its impact on privacy and social connection. 

Also read: Australia clears bill banning children from social media, LinkedIn says its platform is 'too dull for kids'

"This is a global problem, and we want young Australians essentially to have a childhood," Albanese said while introducing the bill to the lower house last week. "We want parents to have peace of mind," he added. 

As it passed the Senate by 34 votes to 19 late on Thursday, the bill will now return to the House of Representatives, where the government has a majority, which means it will surely pass. 

However, the legislation did not specify yet which platforms will be banned. These decisions will later be made by Australia’s communications minister, who will seek advice from the eSafety Commissioner - an internet regulator that will enforce the rules.

Watch | Australia Tables Bill to Ban Social Media for Kids Under 16

Moreover, the government said it will rely on some form of age-verification technology to implement the restrictions on the platform, adding that the options will be tested in the coming months.

During a short consultation period before the bill passed, Google and Snap slammed the legislation for not providing more detail. Meanwhile, Meta said the bill would be "ineffective" and not meet its stated aim of making kids safer.

Moreover, some of the youth advocates also accused the government of not understanding social media's role in children's lives. 

"We understand we are vulnerable to the risks and negative impacts of social media… but we need to be involved in developing solutions," wrote the eSafety Youth Council, which advises the regulator.

Later, the Australian PM defended the bill saying, "We all know technology moves fast and some people will try to find ways around these new laws but that is not a reason to ignore the responsibility that we have."

(With inputs from agencies)