BY: KIA MOERK / STAFF WRITER
Australia becomes the first country to implement federal bans on social media for underaged users. Although both praised and criticized already, the main question remains: how will the law be practically enforced?
In time, you will need to be above the age of 16 in Australia to use social media apps such as TikTok, Instagram, and X.
Although the extent to which this can be monitored is questionable, it sends a strong message about Australia’s stance on children and social media usage.
The negative health implications stemming from social media and screen usage have been increasingly discussed in the past years. There has been a rising concern over children’s mental health related to social media usage. Evidence of the negative effects include international rises in anxiety, depression, cyberbullying, and issues with body image.
Additionally, many argue that the increased use and accessibility of social media has had a negative impact on academic performance as well as social development, both of which are very concerning.
Given these circumstances, one might not be surprised that the Australian government has concluded that concrete action needs to be taken.
Without going too much into detail, the new law will “require social media platforms to take reasonable steps to prevent under 16s from having accounts.”
A trial of methods to enforce it will start in January, with the ban to take effect in a year.
While measures to safeguard children from the possible harmful effects of social media have been implemented in various ways in the past, it has often been up to individual parents and schools.
Although accounts on social media platforms are made independently, the Australian authorities are putting the responsibility on the social media companies themselves to enforce the new law by monitoring the age of their users. Parents and children may not, in other words, be punished for disobeying the law.
The law is meant to target big-tech companies, attempting to put more responsibility on the ways they operate and make money.
Companies are subject to a fine of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars (approximately $32 million American) if seen as failing to take the required steps.
Social media platforms have self-regulated for years, with most having a general age restriction of 13 years for users. However, few federal governments are overseeing these regulations and their efficiency can be questioned as well as the extent of the efforts being put into obtaining the age restrictions.
Some international regulations are already in place. For example, the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation has been credited for its explicit child-protecting efforts, mandating that companies “process a child’s data on grounds of consent with the explicit consent of their parent or guardian up to a certain age.” However, it does not directly prohibit social media use for children.
The specific age threshold for obtaining parental consent varies between the EU Member States but is overarchingly set between 13 and 16 years.
Countries such as Italy and Belgium already have laws denying children under 13 and 14 the use of social media without parental permission, making the self-imposed restrictions of the social media apps more likely to be obtained.
Although many agree that children’s well-being should be the top priority, some are concerned with the risk of government overreach and censorship with increased federal restrictions. A valid concern in the digital age of false information and fake news, where competition over narratives has become central.
It is no secret that children are spending more time online and although we have not seen
the full health effects, researchers agree that there are many negative implications from increased screen time, especially time used on social media.
The details of the practical implementation of the Australian law are still to be worked out. However, the law insinuates an increased focus on collaborative efforts between government and tech companies toward ethical and effective solutions, directing the global debate on the topic.
Protection and freedom in the digital age, and especially the protection of children is more important than ever, especially with the rise of artificial intelligence.
Time will tell how effective the Australian law is in practice, and if perceived as successful, other countries might follow suit.
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