On Thursday 28th November, 2024, Australia approved a ban on social media for children under 16 years
Australia’s parliament passed the law on the last day of proceedings.
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The ban has divided the whole country.
Parents appear happy about the ban while child rights activists are not.
The law is to ensure that social media giants comply fully with the law.
Tech giants face huge monetary fines for non compliance.
Applications like Instagram, Facebook and TikTok are going to be affected by the ban.
Failure to comply will result in a fine of $32million
The country is set to pilot the ban in January 2025 while it takes full effect in a year.
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A number of countries have plans of a similar ban but have not yet implemented same. Australia seem to be the first to implement such a ban. This may well be a test case for other countries to follow beginning 2025.
Both Australia and other countries have considered the the impact of social media on mental health of young people.
Already, France and some states in the U.S have restrictions in place that restricts minors from social media without parental permission. Australia however, have made the law absolute.
A ban such as this does not go unchallenged. Florida has an under 14s social media ban that is being challenged in court. The challenge is based on free speech.
Australia’s ban has also faced stiff resistance from the opposition in parliament, privacy advocates and some child rights groups. Despite the opposition, about 77% of the population approved the ban.
Meanwhile, activities from social media pages indicate a potential strained relationship between Australia and the U.S. Most likely Elon Musk, X owner and other U.S based Tech giants
