The Australian Parliament approved legislation on Thursday banning access to social networks for those under 16, one of the strictest measures in the world in this area for platforms like X, Tik Tok, Instagram or Facebook.
The text, which obtained the green light from both houses of parliament and support from the main parties, should soon require these platforms to take “reasonable measures” to prevent these 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).
The bill received the green light from the Australian Senate on Thursday, after that of the Lower House the day before, and there is no doubt about its entry into force.
Center-left Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who is preparing for elections early next year, enthusiastically defended the new rules and rallied the support of many fathers and mothers.
A source of anxiety
Ahead of the vote, Mr Albanese said social media was “a platform for social pressure, a source of anxiety, a channel for scammers and, worst of all, a tool for online predators”.
He said he wanted young Australians to “put down their phones and instead go to the football and cricket fields, tennis, volleyball and swimming pools”.
Before the vote, several platforms denounced a “rushed” decision, expressing “serious concerns” about potential “unintended consequences”.
Young Australians are already saying they intend to circumvent this ban.
“I will find a way, and my friends will do the same,” Angus Lydom, 12, told AFP. “I would like to continue using (social networks), it would be strange not to have them and not to be able to talk to my friends when I am at home,” he explains.
A strict ban
The same goes for Elsie Arkinstall, 11, who believes that social networks have their place even for children, to watch baking or art tutorials. “You can’t learn all this from books,” she says.
On paper, the ban is one of the strictest in the world.
But the exact contours of its application remain unclear. The text provides almost no details on its application methods so that some experts have expressed doubts about the technical feasibility of this ban and questioning its symbolic nature.
Tech companies will have at least a year to comply with the new obligation, while Australian regulators clarify the details relating to the application of the law.
Certain platforms such as WhatsApp and YouTube, which adolescents may need to do their homework, should also be exempted.
Programs teaching children to think “critically” about what they see online should be adopted, like Finland, social media expert Susan Grantham told AFP.
The entry into force of this new legislation will be closely monitored abroad, with several countries also considering implementing similar restrictions.
In the US state of Florida, a law is due to come into force in January to prohibit the opening of an account to those under 14, but the practical arrangements have not been determined.
In Spain, the government also presented a draft bill in June to prohibit access to social networks for those under 16, although the method of age verification has not been determined. There is no scheduled date for review of the text.
China has restricted access for minors since 2021 and requires identification via an identity document. Those under 14 cannot spend more than 40 minutes per day on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, and online gaming time for children and adolescents is limited
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