Australia voted to ban social media for kids under 16. But how tech companies should comply with the new law remains a big question.
Australia’s government agreed to a sweeping social media ban this week in an attempt to protect young people from online harm, though exactly how tech companies like TikTok, Meta, and Snapchat would verify users’ age remains a giant question mark.
The law gives tech companies one year to figure out how to keep children under 16 from using their social platforms or risk up to $32 million in fines.
The legislation is among the strictest of its kind as countries around the world increasingly target social media as the next frontier for child safety laws.
« The law places the onus on social media platforms — not parents or young people — to take reasonable steps to ensure these protections are in place », Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a November 21 press release.
The country’s House of Representatives overwhelmingly supported the bill in a 102-13 vote on Wednesday, while Australia’s Senate voted 34 to 19 in favor of the legislation on Thursday.
