The Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill, 2024, was passed in Australia to prevent children under 16 from creating accounts on social media platforms. Age-Restricted Social Media Platforms (ARSMPs) must comply, with failure to do so potentially leading to a $49.5 million civil penalty.
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The "Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill, 2024" was recently passed by Australia's House of Representatives, requiring certain social media platforms to take reasonable steps to prevent children under the age of 16 from creating accounts.
The Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill, 2024, was introduced in Australia to prevent children under the age of 16 from creating accounts on social media platforms.
It requires certain social media platforms to take "reasonable steps" to prevent users under 16 from creating accounts. This Bill will become law after the Senate approves it and the Royal Assent is given.
The Age-Restricted Social Media Platforms (ARSMPs), which include TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram, must put measures in place to prevent users under the age of 16 from creating accounts.
They will need to verify the ages of users, but the exact methods and technologies for doing so have yet to be defined.
Platforms that fail to comply may face a civil penalty of up to $49.5 million.
The eSafety Commissioner will issue guidelines for platforms to take "reasonable steps" to prevent minors from creating accounts. These steps may include utilising age verification technologies.
Platforms must make these changes within 12 months of the law being passed. However, the law does not prohibit under-16 users from accessing content, it only prevents them from creating accounts.
Age verification technologies may collect and store personal information that could be misused. To address this, the law requires platforms to destroy the collected information after it has been used.
The Privacy Act (1988) imposes penalties for improper use or disclosure of personal information.
Is social media harmful to children?According to research, social media can have a negative impact on children's mental health, leading to issues such as bullying, disordered eating, and self-harm. The law aims to reduce these risks by restricting social media access for younger children. However, some experts believe that a blanket ban is not the best option and that more targeted interventions are required. |
Australia is the first country to enact such legislation on a national level. Previously, the US attempted similar legislation. Several laws aimed at protecting minors online, including the Communication Decency Act (1996) and the Children's Online Protection Act (1998), were overturned by the United States Supreme Court.
India currently has laws to punish online child abuse, but there are no laws that prohibit children from creating accounts on social media platforms.
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PRACTICE QUESTION Q.Discuss the role of social media platforms in shaping children's behaviour and self-image. (150 words) |
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