Australians were both riled and relieved after the administration slapped a ban on social media for children aged below 16.
The November 28 legislation aims to protect the mental health and wellbeing of young people and sets a benchmark for jurisdictions world over with one of the toughest regulations against Big Tech.
How Down Under reacted
"I think that's a great idea, because I found that the social media for kids (is) not really appropriate, sometimes they can look at something they shouldn't," a relieved Sydney resident told Reuters. A fellow resident, however, seemed furious. "I'm feeling very angry, I feel that this government has taken democracy and thrown it out (of) the window. How could they possibly make up these rules and these laws and push it upon the people?"
No matter how the elders reacted, children were a confident lot. When Reuters reached out to groups of children, they said they would try to find a way out.
How Big Tech, social media reacted
The legislation drew criticism from TikTok, a short-video app popular among teens, where its spokesperson said the process had been rushed and risked putting children into greater danger.
"We're disappointed the Australian government has ignored the advice of the many mental health, online safety, and youth advocacy experts who have strongly opposed the ban. It's entirely likely the ban could see young people pushed to darker corners of the internet where no community guidelines, safety tools, or protections exist," the spokesperson said.
Also Read | Google, Meta urge Australia to delay bill on social media ban for children
What is the legislation?
Social media companies will be required to take "reasonable steps" to verify users' ages and prevent those under 16 from creating accounts. Companies that fail to comply could face fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars, it said. The government will conduct a trial of age-verification methods starting in January 2025 to ensure effective enforcement. The ban is expected to come fully in effect by the end of 2025.
With inputs from Reuters
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