Australia's New Social Media Law: No Social Media For Children Below 16 - Decoded

For the first time in world's history Australia's House of Representative has passed a bill that would not allow children below 16 years from using social media. It is now up to the Senate to finalise this law.

Are All In Favor?

Most of the legislatures are in favour of the bill, with a clear majority of 102 in favor and 13 against. Opposition lawmaker Dan Tehan told Parliament the government had agreed to accept amendments in the Senate that would bolster privacy protections. "Will it be perfect? No. But is any law perfect? No, it's not. But if it helps, even if it helps in just the smallest of ways, it will make a huge difference to people's lives," Tehan told Parliament, as reported by ANI.

What Are The Particulars Of The Law?

Platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram  would not be allowed to compel users to provide government-issued identity documents including passports or driver's licenses. The platforms also cannot demand digital identification through a government system. The Senate committee late on Tuesday backed the bill but inserted a condition that social media platforms should not force users to submit personal data such as passport and other digital identification to prove their age, Reuters reported.

What's Next For Social Media Giants?

If the bill becomes law this week, the social media platforms  will have one year to figure out how they can implement the age restrictions before the penalties are enforced. 

What Are The Penalties?

The major parties backed the bill that would make platforms liable for fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars or Rs 278.31 crore for systemic failures to prevent young children from holding accounts.

What's Next?

ANI reported that Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said the Senate would debate the bill later Wednesday, 27th November 2024.

The bill has drawn in multiple reactions, while some in favor, others say it will isolate the children from the world.

Also Read: Data Protection, Deepfakes: 'No Need To Change Law' Says MeitY Secy