Big Techs Criticize Australia For Rushing the New Social Media Ban Law
Australia has become the first country to ban social media for children below the age of 16. Australia’s ban on social media sends a strong message to big techs about the need to tighten security on their platforms, as per CNN.
The Senate in Australia approved the ban late on November 28, 2024 during this year’s last sitting. The approval comes after intense public debate and a rushed process that resulted in the bill being brought to parliament, debated, and voted for in just a week.
A Pivotal Moment
The Australian government praised the under-16 social media ban, saying it will make companies responsible for kids online.
“Platforms now have a social responsibility to ensure the safety of our kids is a priority for them. We know that social media can be a weapon for bullies, a platform for peer pressure, a driver of anxiety, a vehicle for scammers. And worst of all, a tool for online predators,” Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.
In parliament, the bill had attracted support from a majority of members in the Liberal Party, Australia’s largest opposition party. Liberal Party Senator, Maria Kovacic termed the law as a pivotal moment for the country.
“We have drawn a line in the sand. The enormous power of big tech can no longer remain unchecked in Australia,” she said ahead of voting.
But not all members supported the new restrictions. Members of some smaller and independent parties had attempted to block the new law.
“This is a disaster unfolding before our eyes. You couldn’t make this stuff up. The prime minister says he’s worried about social media. The leader of the opposition says, ‘Let’s ban it.’ It’s a race to the bottom to try and pretend who can be the toughest. We need to make social media safer for everybody.” Senator Sarah Hanson-Young of the Greens Party said.
Sharp Criticism
The Australian government has attracted sharp criticism over the speed with which the legislation was passed. Members of the public were only allowed 24 hours to make their submissions to a Senate Committee. The inquiry report from the committee was released on Tuesday, November 26, and the bill passed a day after, on Wednesday 27, 2024.
Over 100 submissions were made to the committee, majority of them expressing serious concerns over the time afforded to a bill of such importance. Despite this, the Senate committee went ahead to recommend passage of the bill with several amendments. One of those changes involved prohibiting social media companies from using government documents like passports to verify the age of users.
Australia’s new online safety laws are now the toughest response to a problem that has pushed other countries into imposing restrictions on social media companies. However, countries are yet to hold those companies accountable for breaching nationwide bans. The new ban will apply to TikTok, Snapchat, Reddit, Facebook, X, and Instagram.
Under the new Australian social media law, tech companies have to take measures to keep underage users from using social media platforms. Companies that fail to do this will be fined close to $32 million.
Reactions from Big Techs
Meta and TikTok said they shared Australia’s goal of making social platforms safer for children. However, the two social media giants said the law had been rushed. Meta owns Instagram and Facebook. Both platforms will be affected by the social media ban.
“The task now turns to ensuring there is productive consultation on all rules associated with the bill to ensure a technically feasible outcome that does not place an onerous burden on parents and teens and a commitment that rules will be consistently applied across all social apps used by teens,” Meta’s spokesperson said.
X made submissions to the Senate committee inquiry. In its submissions, X said its platform is not commonly used by minors. However, the Elon Musk-owned platform expressed concerns that the law would limit freedom of expression.
Snap Inc, which owns Snapchat said there are concerns around implementation of Australia’s social media restrictions. The company, whose app is popular among minors, had recommended device level verification in its submissions.
Moving forward, the Australian government will consult widely before setting a switch-off date to deactivate social media accounts held by under 16 users. Although parents and children will not be penalized for violating the ban, social media platforms will be required to demonstrate that they’ve taken reasonable measures to keep underage users from using their platforms.
