By Nurat Uthman
Australian lawmakers moved closer to banning under 16s from social media platforms Wednesday, threatening companies that fail to comply with multimillion-dollar fines.
The landmark legislation passed parliament’s lower chamber Wednesday and is now set to be debated by the Senate.
The new rules would require Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat to take “reasonable steps” to prevent young teens from having accounts.
Social media firms — who could face fines of up to Aus$50 million (US$32.5 million) for failing to impose the ban — have described the laws as “vague”, “problematic” and “rushed”.
Centre-left Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who is eyeing an election early next year, has enthusiastically championed the ban and rallied Aussie parents to support it.
In the run-up to Wednesday’s vote, he painted social media as “a platform for peer pressure, a driver of anxiety, a vehicle for scammers and, worst of all, a tool for online predators”.
He wanted, he said, young Australians “off their phones and onto the footy and cricket field, the tennis and netball courts, in the swimming pool”.
On paper, the ban is one of the strictest in the world.
However, the current legislation offers almost no details on how the rules will be enforced.
It will be at least 12 months before the details are worked out by regulators and the ban comes into effect.
Many experts are sceptical that the ban can be implemented in any meaningful way, pointing out that many age restrictions can easily be easily circumvented.
Late amendments explicitly bar social media firms from requiring new users to present government-issued ID to prove their age.
University of Sydney digital communication professor Terry Flew said the limited consultation could result in “symbolic policy-making” rather than a lasting legacy.
The ban may well be challenged in court.
Some companies will likely be granted exemptions, such as WhatsApp and YouTube, which teenagers may need to use for recreation, school work or other reasons.
Business networking site LinkedIn is also looking for an exemption, presenting the novel argument that its product is too boring for those under 16 to be interested in joining anyway.
“LinkedIn simply does not have content interesting and appealing to minors,” the firm said in a submission to the government.
