Australia was the first country in the world to ban social media for those under 16 years old

This Wednesday, Australia prohibits minors under 16 from accessing social networks through a law aimed at “taking back control” of the tech giants that manage platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Now major internet companies must remove these teenagers’ accounts from their applications or face fines of up to $33 million.

The Prime Minister Anthony Albanese gave a speech on this restriction and stated: “This is Australia saying, “Enough is enough!”“And then he declared that it was “one of the biggest cultural shifts our nation has faced” and assumed that “we would take back control from the hands of the tech giants.” The president also assured that thanks to the ban, “we will regain control.” “Kids will have more time to be kids and parents will have more peace of mind.”. This law is intended to make it easier to have conversations with your children about the risks and harms of using the Internet.”

According to the government, the measure aims to Protect children and young people from “predatory algorithms”. who fill their cell phones with sex, violence and virtual harassment. Interviewed by the agency AFPBianca Navarro, 10, admitted that she is already counting down the time until she can use YouTube again: “It’s going to be pretty sad because I still have six years until I can watch it.”

The reality is that since December 10th Instagram, Facebook, Kick, Threads, X, Twitch, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube and Reddit Australia prohibits the creation or maintenance of accounts for users under 16 years of age.

To what extent should the state intervene in the lives of children?

In statements to the agency AFP, Mia BanisterThe mother who blamed social platforms for the suicide of her teenage son Ollie, who was the victim of online harassment, remarked: “I’m tired of the networking giants shirking their responsibilities.” On his part Dany ElachiThe father of five assured that the restrictions were a “limit” that should have been set earlier.

Young people from all over the world spoke about the topic. “Today’s students are very distracted” he admitted Mitchelle Okinedoa 15-year-old Nigerian girl; while Santiago Ramirez Rojas16 years old, originally from Mexico City, emphasized that “social networks are very important today to express yourself, regardless of age.”

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The measure taken by Australia could be replicated by Malaysia and New Zealandthat examine the implementation of similar restrictions. The Australian government came clean and acknowledged that many teenagers will find a way to break the ban, but the Prime Minister defended his new measure using alcohol consumption as an example: “Australia sets the legal drinking age at 18 because our society recognizes the benefits this approach offers to both the individual and the community.” The fact that young people occasionally find a way to drink alcohol does not change the fact that there are clear national regulations“.

The response of virtual companies to the ban imposed by Australia

Meta, YouTube and other major social media providers criticized the restrictionbut virtually all agreed to comply with the measure while planning a legal counterattack. Local media, for example, reported this Reddit would seek to overturn the ban in the High Court of Australia, although the platform has not yet confirmed the news.

GoalParent company of Facebook and Instagram, warned this Wednesday that the restriction would lead to more insecurity for young people because “this poorly developed law may lead young people to less regulated platforms or applications.”

This is an important point It is understood that social media companies are solely responsible for verifying whether their users are 16 years of age or older.. Some platforms stated that they will use AI (artificial intelligence) to calculate age based on the photos presented. Meanwhile, the debate continues over which platforms should be subject to this ban. Pinterest, Roblox and WhatsApp are currently exempt from the measurebut the government warned that this could change.

HM/DCQ