Google and Meta are urging Australia to delay the bill banning social media for minors
Google and Facebook owner Meta Platforms on Tuesday urged the Australian government to delay a bill that would ban most forms of social media for children under 16. More time was needed to assess its potential impact.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s centre-left government wants the bill, which includes one of the toughest controls on children’s use of social media imposed by any country, to be passed into law at the end of the parliamentary year on Thursday.
The bill was submitted to Parliament last week and was only open for submitting opinions for one day.
Google and Meta said in their comments that the government should wait for the results of an age verification trial before moving forward.
The age verification system may include biometrics or government identification to enforce an age limit on social media.
“In the absence of such results, neither the industry nor Australians will understand the nature or extent of the age guarantee required by the bill, nor the impact of such measures on Australians,” Meta said.
“In its current form, the bill is inconsistent and ineffective.”
The law would force social media platforms, not parents or children, to take reasonable steps to ensure age verification protections are in place. Companies can be fined up to A$49.5 million ($32 million or about Rs. 270 crore) for systemic breaches.
The opposition Liberal Party is expected to support the bill, although some independent lawmakers have accused the government of rushing through the entire process in about a week.
A Senate committee responsible for communications legislation will submit a report on Tuesday.
Bytedance’s TikTok said the bill was unclear and there were “significant concerns” about the government’s plan to pass the bill without detailed consultation with experts, social media platforms, mental health organizations and young people.
“Where new policies are put forward, it is important that the legislation is drafted in a thorough and considered manner to ensure that the stated intentions can be achieved. This has not been the case with regard to this bill,” TikTok said.
Elon Musk’s
The American billionaire, who considers himself a champion of freedom of expression, attacked the Australian government last week, saying the bill appeared to be a backdoor way to control access to the internet.
© Thomson Reuters 2024
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