Australia Enacts Legislation Prohibiting Social Media Access for Individuals Under 16

The Social Media Minimum Age bill represents a significant advancement in the increasing demands from international legislators to safeguard the mental health and welfare of youngsters.

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On Thursday, the Australian Senate enacted the Social Media Minimum Age law, which will prohibit minors under 16 years of age from using social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, X, and others. According to the new legislation, these platforms may incur fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars for failing to restrict access to their applications for those under the age of 16.

Following the House of Representatives' resounding approval of the measure on Wednesday with a vote of 102-13, the Senate confirmed the decision with a 34-19 vote. The conclusive vote followed intense discussions among legislators, advocates, and the public over the course of the year. As an expanding amount of research illustrates the harmful impacts of social media usage on the mental health and welfare of children, an increasing number of legislators worldwide are advocating for heightened regulations on social media corporations.

The measure is broadly endorsed for its objective of safeguarding children against deteriorating mental health, unsuitable content, and addictive behaviors. Conversely, some contend that the legislation may yield adverse effects by alienating adolescents from the unifying capabilities of social media, particularly for LGBTQ+ minors who utilize these platforms to seek community.

With the bill formally enacted, social media corporations are afforded one year to enforce the prohibition prior to the law's full implementation.