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What you need to know
- Australia has passed the world's first ban on social media use by children under 16, a strict law that could hurt platforms like X, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and others.
- The onus will be on the social media platforms to take the responsibility of ensuring children don't have accounts, according to the law.
- Those guilty of "systemic breaches" face fines of up to $49.5 million Australian dollars ($32.2 million), the government said.
Australia passed the first social media ban for children below 16 years of age. This strict law could hurt platforms such as Elon Musk’s X and ByteDance’s TikTok. Snap’s (SNAP), Snapchat and Meta Platforms’ (META) Facebook or Instagram.
Social media platforms will have to take the responsibility of ensuring children don't have accounts, with those guilty of "systemic breaches" facing fines of up to $49.5 million Australian dollars ($32.2 million), the government said. Parents and their kids won't face fines.
Australian PM Says Social Media Does 'Social Harm'
"Social media is doing social harm to our kids. We’ve called time on it," Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a statement. “We want our kids to have a childhood and parents to know we have their backs.”
At least one year will pass before the ban is implemented. Australian Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland said the government knows "these laws are novel, but to do nothing is simply not an option."
X, TikTok, Snap, and Meta didn't immediately respond to Investopedia's requests for comment.
Musk, who is close to Donald Trump’s U.S. presidential elect, criticized Australia’s bill last week, calling it a “fraud”. “a backdoor way to control access to the Internet by all Australians.”
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