Tech giants face $50m fines as social media ban introduced
Social media giants will be slapped with fines of up to $50 million if they don’t block Australians under 16 from their platforms, as the world-first legislation is introduced on Thursday.
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland will introduce the Online Safety Act on Thursday morning, which will set minimum age limits on a number of social media platforms – although how proof-of-age is determined, and which platforms will be covered by the laws is yet to be defined.
“The Albanese Government is introducing world leading legislation to establish 16 as the minimum age for access to social media,” Rowland told news.com.au.
“This reform is about protecting young people and letting parents know we’ve got their backs. Social media has a social responsibility for the safety and mental health of young Australians.
Michelle Rowland
“The legislation places the onus on social media platforms, not parents or children, to ensure protections are in place.
“Ultimately, this is about supporting a safer and healthier online environment for young Australians.”
It is unclear whether WhatsApp or Snapchat will be included in the legislation, with Rowland suggesting last week that Snapchat “could fall within that definition of a messaging service”, and therefore be exempt.
The social media companies have 12 months to get their ducks in order, or they will face fines of up to $50 million.
Shadow communications minister David Coleman told the ABC the Coalition will “work very constructively with the Government – and we want to see this bill passed before Parliament rises for the end of the year”.
Last week, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton urged Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to rush through the laws and skip the 12 month window, so that they can take effect before the school holidays.
“I think it needs to be in before kids go on to Christmas holidays and into the new year, when they’re sitting around on their devices,” Dutton said.
Rowland said the laws were being introduced because “social media has a social responsibility, but the platforms are falling short,” adding: “These platforms know their users better than anyone, understand their habits, their capabilities, what content should be driven to them and what their behaviours are.
“In this year that we will take in terms of implementation, that will be the key focus.”
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Nathan Jolly is the Features Editor at Mumbrella. He joined the team in July, 2023.
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So you can be jailed as a child at 10yrs old in some States in Australia, 12 in others, and the goal is to raise that age to 14.
However you need to be 16 to go on Instagram or TikTok.
Laughable, and obviously unenforceable legislation.
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