MELBOURNE, Australia — On Wednesday, the House of Representatives in Australia approved a groundbreaking piece of legislation aimed at protecting minors from social media access. The bill prohibits children under the age of 16 from using popular platforms, and it now awaits Senate approval to become law.
Support for the bill came from major political parties, with provisions that would hold social media giants like TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X, and Instagram accountable for fines reaching up to 50 million Australian dollars (approximately $33 million) if they fail to effectively prevent young users from creating accounts.
The legislation received significant backing, passing with a vote count of 102 in favor compared to just 13 against it. If the Senate endorses the bill and it is enacted, the social media companies will have a one-year period to develop systems to enforce the age restrictions before penalties would be applied.
This law represents a pioneering step in regulating social media access for minors and aims to address concerns over child safety in the digital realm. Observers are keenly watching how the Senate will respond and the potential impact this legislation could have on global social media policies.