Canberra, November 21, 2024 — The Europe Today: Australia’s Communications Minister Michelle Rowland has introduced a groundbreaking bill into Parliament aimed at protecting children’s online safety by banning individuals under 16 from using social media platforms. The proposed law, which targets popular platforms like TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X, and Instagram, would impose fines of up to $33 million on companies that fail to prevent children from accessing these platforms.
Rowland emphasized the importance of online safety, describing it as one of the toughest challenges faced by parents in the digital age. In her address to Parliament, she outlined the key goals of the bill, which seeks to establish a new societal norm: social media should not be a defining feature of growing up in Australia.
“This bill seeks to set a new normative value in society that accessing social media is not the defining feature of growing up in Australia,” Rowland stated. She added that there is widespread consensus on the need for immediate action to prevent children and young teens from being exposed to unfiltered and potentially harmful content online.
The bill has garnered broad political support, with many acknowledging the urgent need to shield young Australians from the dangers of the digital world. Upon the bill’s passage into law, social media platforms will have one year to implement systems that verify users’ ages and prevent access for children under 16.
Rowland highlighted concerning statistics regarding the impact of social media on young Australians. Nearly two-thirds of 14- to 17-year-olds have been exposed to extremely harmful content online, including material related to drug abuse, suicide, self-harm, and violence. Additionally, one-quarter of teenagers have encountered content promoting unsafe eating habits. According to government research, 95% of Australian caregivers identify online safety as one of their most significant parenting challenges.
“This is about protecting young people, not punishing or isolating them, and letting parents know that we’re in their corner when it comes to supporting their children’s health and wellbeing,” Rowland explained. She emphasized that the law aims to hold social media companies accountable for their role in curbing harm on their platforms.
However, the proposed law has sparked debate among child welfare advocates and internet experts, who have raised concerns about the potential isolation of 14- and 15-year-olds from their established online social networks. Rowland addressed these concerns by clarifying that the law would not impose age restrictions on messaging services, online games, or platforms that provide substantial educational or health-related content.
“We are not saying risks don’t exist on messaging apps or online gaming. While users can still be exposed to harmful content, these platforms do not involve the same algorithmic curation of content and psychological manipulation to encourage endless engagement,” Rowland said.
The proposed law marks a significant step toward addressing online harms and safeguarding the mental health and well-being of young Australians in an increasingly digital world.
