By admin 
Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL; DR
- Australia is on the verge of passing legislation banning social media for children under the age of 16.
- All of the country’s state and territory leaders have already signed off on the age restrictions plan.
- Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, wants app stores to monitor age restrictions instead of social media platforms.
The rise of social media toxicity and the lack of proper safety regulations have prompted Australia, a key US ally, to ban social media for children under 16. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the “world-leading” legislation would be introduced in the Australian parliament next week. All state and territory leaders have already signed off on the age restrictions plan.
“This one is for the moms and dads. They, like me, worry about the safety of our children online. I want Australian families to know that the government has your back,” he said, according to the newspaper BBC.
Should there be age restrictions on social media use?
3 votes
Yes, young people under the age of 16 are not allowed to use it.
67%
No, everyone should be able to use it.
33%
Details are scarce on how Australia plans to impose the social media ban on under-16s, but the government has confirmed it will apply to young people and teens already on social platforms. Parental consent also does not matter, as the legislation makes no exceptions.
Additionally, social media companies will have to ensure compliance and prevent underage users from accessing their platforms.
The Australian legislation will come into force twelve months after coming into force. That should give social media companies enough time to implement age-related restrictions. However, Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms, says it should be the responsibility of app store operators such as Apple and Google to monitor young people’s use of social media.
“The challenge is that the technology is not quite there yet in terms of having a perfect solution,” Mia Garlick, Meta’s regional policy director for Australia, told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. on Friday. Bloomberg). She added that it would be more appropriate for app operators to have age restrictions on their platforms than for social media companies.
“If every single app has to implement its own age-appropriate controls, the burden will really fall on young people and parents for each of the different apps a young person wants to use,” she said.
What are your thoughts on this? Do you think it is fair to restrict social media for young people under the age of 16? Take our survey above and let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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