Australia plans "world-leading" social media ban for children under 16

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced Thursday what he called a "world-leading" scheme to instrumentality a societal media prohibition for each children nether nan property of 16. While overmuch of nan item of nan projected authorities has yet to beryllium made clear, nan Australian leader said astatine a news convention that nan measure involves an property verification process wherever "the onus will beryllium connected societal media platforms to show they are taking reasonable steps to forestall access" to their platforms.

Under nan projected legislation, societal media companies would look sizable fines for allowing younger children to entree their platforms, but location would beryllium nary penalties for users aliases parents of users who disregard nan law, nan Australian government said successful a statement. 

"Social media is doing harm to our kids and I'm calling clip connected it," Albanese declared Thursday. "I've spoken to thousands of parents, grandparents, aunties and uncles. They, for illustration me, are worried sick astir nan information of our kids online, and I want Australian parents and families to cognize that nan authorities has your back."  

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese discusses authorities that would make 16 years arsenic a minimum property for children to usage societal media astatine a property convention successful Canberra, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024.  Mick Tsikas/AAP Image via AP

The authorities said nan projected authorities would not let exemptions for children whose parents consent to their usage of societal media platforms. The measure besides will not see "grandfathering arrangements" that could exempt young group who already person societal accounts. 

Australian Minister of Communications Michelle Rowland told reporters societal media companies had been consulted astir really to practically enforce specified a ban, and she mentioned Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, X and YouTube arsenic platforms that would apt beryllium affected by nan legislation. 

CBS News has sought remark from each 5 societal media companies astir nan Australian government's plans.

Last month, a conjugation of complete 140 Australian and world experts signed an open letter to Albanese outlining concerns astir nan projected property limit.

"The online world is simply a spot wherever children and young group entree information, build societal and method skills, link pinch family and friends, study astir nan world astir them and relax and play," nan missive says. "We are concerned that a 'ban' is excessively blunt an instrumentality to reside risks effectively."

In April, a bipartisan group of U.S. senators including Republican Ted Cruz of Texas and Democrat Brian Schatz of Hawaii introduced authorities that, among different provisions, would "prohibit children nether nan property of 13 from creating aliases maintaining societal media accounts, accordant pinch nan existent practices of awesome societal media companies," and "Prohibit societal media companies from recommending contented utilizing algorithms to users nether nan property of 17."

A 2023 advisory from nan U.S. Surgeon General's agency said location were intelligence wellness benefits for children and teens erstwhile they trim aliases destruct vulnerability to societal media for longer than a month.  

Most societal media companies person policies that barroom children nether nan property of 13 from mounting up accounts, but a 2022 study conducted by nan U.K.'s media regulator Ofcom recovered that astir 80% of children successful nan state had societal media accounts by nan property of 12.

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