Australia on Wednesday became the first country to ban social media for children under 16, blocking access in a move welcomed by many parents and child advocates.
Tiktok, X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and Threads have criticised the ban.
From midnight (1300 GMT on Tuesday), 10 of the largest platforms including TikTok, Alphabet’s (GOOGL.O), opens new tab YouTube and Meta’s (META.O), opens new tab Instagram and Facebook were ordered to block children or face fines of up to A$49.5 million ($33 million) under the new law, which is being closely watched by regulators worldwide.
Related News:
- Australia bars under-16 children from social media
- Most Promiscuous Nations: Australia tops, Nigeria ranks 40th
- Australian Serves life sentence, 129 years for child s3x abuse in Philippines
Read books, PM tells youngsters
Some of those below the cut-off age of 16 were anxious about adjusting to life without social media, but others were less concerned.
“I’m not really that emotional about it,” said 14-year-old Claire Ni. “I’m kind of just, like, neutral.”
Luna Dizon, 15, said she still had access to her TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat accounts, but worried about “culture shock” once the ban took full effect.
“I think eventually, without (social media), we’ll learn how to adapt to it,” she added.
Teenager signs off with ‘see you when I’m 16’
While the government has said the ban would not be perfect in its operation, about 200,000 accounts were deactivated by Wednesday on TikTok alone, with “hundreds of thousands” more to be blocked in the next few days.
Many of the estimated 1 million children affected by the legislation also posted goodbye messages on social media.
Recall that raft of popular apps and websites — Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and X among them — face US$33 million fines if they fail to purge Australia-based users younger than 16.
The Australian government says unprecedented measures are needed to protect children from “predatory algorithms” filling phone screens with bullying, sex, and violence.
Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, and Reddit are forbidden from creating or keeping accounts belonging to users under 16 in Australia.
Streaming platforms Kick and Twitch are also on the government’s blacklist, as are Threads and X.
– ‘Really Distracted’ –
Tech-savvy teenagers the world over have taken an interest in Australia’s measures.
“Students nowadays are really distracted,” said Nigerian high-schooler Mitchelle Okinedo, 15.
“Social media today is very important for expressing yourself, no matter how old you are,” said Santiago Ramirez Rojas, 16, from Mexico City.
Elon Musk’s X told young users the ban was “not our choice”.
“It’s what the Australian law requires.”
Lesser-known chat and image-sharing apps Lemon8 and yope, which are not currently listed in the social media ban, have shot up the download charts in Australia.
While most platforms have begrudgingly agreed to comply, for now, legal challenges are in the wind.
Online discussion site Reddit said Tuesday it could not confirm local media reports that said it would seek to overturn the ban in Australia’s High Court.
An Australian internet rights group has launched its own bid to have teenagers reinstated to social media
– Rushed Or Reasonable? –
Australia’s efforts will be closely watched by all those worried about the dangers of social media.
New Zealand and Malaysia are mulling similar restrictions.
The Australian government concedes the ban will be far from perfect at the outset, and canny teenagers will find ways to slip through the cracks.
But platforms face the threat of Aus$49.5 million (US$33 million) fines if they fail to take “reasonable steps” to stop this happening.
It remains to be seen how Australia’s internet safety regulator will interpret what counts as reasonable.
Social media companies bear the sole responsibility for checking that users are 16 or older.
Some platforms say they will use AI tools to estimate ages based on photos, while young users may also choose to prove their age by uploading a government ID.
Which platforms fall under the ban continues to be debated.
Popular apps and websites such as Roblox, Pinterest, and WhatsApp are currently exempt — but the government has stressed that the list remains under review.
Most social media platforms already require users to be at least 13, a legacy of US laws setting the minimum age for data collection without parental consent.
AFP
