Australia plans to strengthen laws banning children from social media
Anthony Albanese said 70% of children with pre-ban accounts were still using major platforms, as the government weighs tougher penalties and enforcement.
- On Thursday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced plans to strengthen Australia's under-16 social media ban, citing mounting evidence that children continue accessing major platforms despite restrictions enacted last December.
- Evidence mounts that the ban is failing, as many children continue to access major platforms like Facebook and Instagram more than six months after the landmark restrictions took effect.
- Compliance reporting found about 70 per cent of children still hold accounts on restricted platforms, while Commissioner Julie Inman Grant described the legislation as a "very blunt force approach" lacking "potent powers."
- Albanese flagged new digital duty of care legislation holding platforms accountable for foreseeable harms, with fines reaching $49.5 million for breaches, and singled out "nudify" applications generating sexually explicit images.
- Britain and Canada are developing similar age-based restrictions, following Australia's pioneering role as the first country to enact such laws, with global adoption accelerating across multiple nations.
51 Articles
51 Articles
Australia pledges tougher enforcement of social media ban for teens
Australia is strengthening laws to ban social media for under-16s, despite initial challenges in enforcement. Prime Minister Albanese vows to "bullet-proof" legislation as the government prepares legal action against platforms for failing to verify ages. While studies show many teens still access platforms, experts note a shift in parental attitudes and social norms around early social media use, suggesting a gradual impact.
Australia will double the fine imposed on platforms bypassing its historic ban on social networks for people under 16 years of age, bringing it to almost 60 million euros, in order to stem widespread fraud, announced the government on Saturday. ...
Associated Press News
Australia plans to strengthen laws banning children from social media
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says his government is giving priority to strengthening the world's first laws that ban children younger than 16 from social media platforms.
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