What happened
Australia’s pioneering social media ban for teenagers went into effect Tuesday, barring kids under age 16 from 10 popular platforms: YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, Twitch, Threads, X and Kick. The social media companies face fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars ($32.9 million) if they fail to take “reasonable steps” to identify and remove underage users.
Who said what
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said it was “a proud day” for Australian families that “will make an enormous difference” in protecting kids from the harms of social media. Polls show that the ban, which passed a year ago with broad political support, is “wildly popular with parents” but “far less popular with children,” said the BBC. In a video message, Albanese suggested kids “start a new sport, new instrument or read that book” lingering on their shelf.
The law’s “rollout caps a year of debate over whether any country could practically stop children from using platforms embedded in daily life,” Reuters said, “and begins a live test for governments worldwide frustrated that social media firms have been slow to implement harm-reduction measures.” Critics, including tech companies “desperate to stop other countries from implementing similar bans,” argue that the law is overly broad, will leave kids isolated and can easily be flouted by tech-savvy teens, the BBC said.
What next?
Two 15-year-olds, backed by an advocacy group, have filed a challenge to the law, arguing it “improperly robs 2.6 million young Australians of a right to freedom of political communication implied in Australia’s constitution,” The Associated Press said. An initial hearing will be held in February.
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