Australia to propose age limit for social media, bans for children under 16
PTC News Desk: With increasing exposure of social media to children, Australia is planning to propose a legislature banning social media for children under the age of 16. The government has also issued directive to the concerned companies to comply with the new rules or face potential action.
Anthony Albanese said social media is harming children, and he is calling time on it. He pledged to introduce legislation later this month to address the issue. “The onus will be on social media platforms to demonstrate they are taking reasonable steps to prevent access. The onus won’t be on parents or young people. There’ll be no penalties for users," he said.
Tech giants and social media platforms will bear the responsibility for ensuring users are old enough, Albanese said, rather than parents who were "worried sick about the safety of their kids online".
"The onus will not be on parents or young people. There will be no penalties for users."
The decision has been hailed by both the incumbent government and opposition in Australia. Before being introduced in the parliament, the new proposed laws will first be presented to state and territory leaders this week.
- With inputs from agencies
