Australian Communications Minister Michelle Rowland introduced a bill into Parliament to ban the use of social media by children under the age of 16. If this bill becomes law, it will be the first bill of its kind in the world. Rowland said that ensuring children’s online safety has emerged as a big challenge for parents. He said the bill provides for a fine of up to 50 million Australian dollars (about 33 million US dollars) for failing to prevent children under 16 from creating accounts on social media platforms such as TikTok, Facebook and Snapchat. This includes Reddit, X, and Instagram.
Political support for the bill
“This bill seeks to establish a new standard principle in society that access to social media is not a defining characteristic of growing up in Australia,” Rowland told Parliament. There is widespread belief that immediate action must be taken to prevent children and teenagers from accessing the unlimited “uncut” content available on the Internet. The bill enjoys widespread political support. Once the bill becomes law, social media platforms will have one year to implement age restrictions.
Social media can prove harmful
“Social media can be harmful for many young people in Australia,” Rowland said. Nearly two-thirds of Australian children aged 14 to 17 have viewed highly harmful material on the Internet, including material related to drug abuse, suicide, violence or self-harm. “A quarter of children have viewed content that promotes bad eating habits.” Citing government research, Rowland said 95 percent of Australian parents consider online safety the biggest challenge in raising children.
What did Elon Musk say?
However, ‘X’ owner Elon Musk has questioned this bill. “(This bill) appears to be a behind-the-scenes attempt to control access to the internet by Australians,” he said in a post. Australia is also working on measures to prevent children under 18 from accessing pornographic material available on the internet, a government statement said.
