After sailing through Parliament’s lower house on Wednesday, the bill passed the Senate on Thursday with bipartisan support. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said that it puts Australia at the vanguard of efforts to protect the mental health and well-being of children from the detrimental effects of social media, such as hate and bullying
According to the law, social media companies must take “reasonable steps” to ensure that users under 16 cannot create accounts. Companies that fail to comply may be liable to fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars, about $32 million. The law does not penalize underage users or their parents.
Right now, it is not cleared which exact platform will be covered by the ban
This move has sparked a debate about the balance between protecting young people and restricting their access to online communities. While some argue that the ban is necessary to safeguard children, others believe it may isolate them from valuable social interactions and support networks
