Australia will from December 10 force social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok to remove users under the age of 16, imposing hefty fines of up to Aus$49.5 million (US$32 million) if they fail to do so. Streaming platform Kick and online forum Reddit will also be included in the new legislation, Minister for Communications Anika Wells said Wednesday.
“Online platforms use technology to target children with chilling control,” Wells told reporters. “We are merely asking they use that same technology to keep children safe online,” she said. “We want children to have a childhood and we want parents to have peace of mind.”
There is keen interest in whether Australia’s sweeping restrictions can work as regulators around the globe wrestle with the dangers of social media. On paper, the ban is one of the strictest in the world. However, some experts are concerned that the law will be merely symbolic.
So far, platforms like Roblox, Discord, and WhatsApp will not be banned, but streaming site Twitch is under review. Wells said the list of banned platforms was not static and could change. eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant mentioned that while age restrictions were one “really potent solution” to stopping social media harm, they were not a quick fix.
Social media companies have previously described the laws as “vague,” “problematic,” and “rushed.” A Kick spokesperson stated, “Australia represents a small share of our global audience, but Kick was built here and we’ll keep backing our local creators.”
“We’ll continue engaging constructively on these new rules to support fair outcomes: protecting online safety without compromising privacy or limiting the creative freedom that drives Australia’s creator economy,” they added.
Kick came under scrutiny in France after a 46-year-old man died during a 12-day livestreaming marathon on his channel that showed him enduring abuse and humiliation from other participants. The government said earlier this year that social media giants will not be required to verify the ages of all users but must take “reasonable steps” to detect and deactivate underage ones.
Plataforma with AFP
