Children across Australia will wake up on Wednesday with no access to their social media accounts under a world-first ban designed to shelter those under 16 from addictive algorithms, online predators, and digital bullies.
No other nation has taken such sweeping measures, and the rollout of the tough new law is being closely watched by legislators around the globe.
Most of the 10 banned platforms – Instagram, Facebook, Threads, Snapchat, YouTube, TikTok, Kick, Reddit, Twitch and X – say they’ll comply with the ban, using age verification technology to identify under-16s and suspend their accounts, but they don’t believe it’ll make children safer.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is already touting the ban as a success because families are talking about social media use. Some children – and their parents – are expected to flout the ban, but there are no consequences for either.
“We’ve said very clearly that this won’t be perfect… but it’s the right thing to do for society to express its views, its judgment, about what is appropriate,” Albanese told the public broadcaster ABC on Sunday.
Under the law, platforms need to show they’ve taken “reasonable steps” to deactivate accounts used by under-16s, and to prevent new accounts being opened, to avoid fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars ($32 million).
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Children across Australia will wake up on Wednesday with no access to their social media accounts under a world-first ban designed to shelter those under 16 from addictive algorithms, online predators, and digital bullies.
No other nation has taken such sweeping measures, and the rollout of the tough new law is being closely watched by legislators around the globe.
Most of the 10 banned platforms – Instagram, Facebook, Threads, Snapchat, YouTube, TikTok, Kick, Reddit, Twitch and X – say they’ll comply with the ban, using age verification technology to identify under-16s and suspend their accounts, but they don’t believe it’ll make children safer.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is already touting the ban as a success because families are talking about social media use. Some children – and their parents – are expected to flout the ban, but there are no consequences for either.
“We’ve said very clearly that this won’t be perfect… but it’s the right thing to do for society to express its views, its judgment, about what is appropriate,” Albanese told the public broadcaster ABC on Sunday.
Under the law, platforms need to show they’ve taken “reasonable steps” to deactivate accounts used by under-16s, and to prevent new accounts being opened, to avoid fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars ($32 million).