The terms of application of the law must be further clarified before its entry into force, expected in a year.
Published on 29/11/2024 07:45
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“It is entirely likely that the ban will lead young people to darker areas of the internet where there are no general rules, safety tools or protections.” Representatives of social networks, including a TikTok spokesperson, condemned, on Friday, November 29, the Australian law prohibiting access to their platforms to those under 16 years of age.
The text, which was adopted Thursday by the Australian Parliament, should soon force X, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook or Snapchat to take “reasonable measures” to prevent children and young adolescents from having an account. Failure to comply with this obligation will result in fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars (30.7 million euros).
Meta, parent company of Facebook and Instagram, for its part deplored the fact that what the sector had not taken into account “already done to ensure age-appropriate experiences,” while ensuring that the law would be respected. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Australia also ruled that the law was not “a miracle solution” against online dangers and could redirect children to spaces “hidden and unregulated”.
The Australian Prime Minister acknowledged that the application of the law will not be perfect, like the age restriction on the sale of alcohol, but that it was nevertheless the “good thing to do”. Despite much reluctance, the main social networks have committed to working with the Australian government to define the terms of application of the law before its entry into force, scheduled for a year from now. Some experts have expressed doubts about the technical feasibility of this ban and wonder whether it is not a text of symbolic significance, but inapplicable.
