Australian House of Representatives Approves Ban on Social Media Under 16

australia - The Australian House of Representatives has passed a law requiring individuals in Australia to be at least sixteen years old to access social media platforms.

The bill was passed with 102 votes in favor and 13 against, as reported by AP. The law includes fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars (approximately 31 million euros) for platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, and Instagram if they fail to prevent children under sixteen from creating accounts.

If the Senate approves the law, platforms will have a year to develop methods for implementing age restrictions. Platforms are now required to take steps to verify users' ages.

In September, the center-left government led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced its intent to introduce a minimum age of sixteen for social media use. Technology companies will be responsible for enforcing the age limit correctly, Albanese emphasized. Children or their parents will not face penalties.