Social media and the internet have always been considered to be harmful for children. Hence, several social media platforms and tech giants have always ensured to keep the space safer and child-friendly. However, to make the rules more strict, Australia’s government has proposed to ban social media such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and more for children under 16 years of age.
As per a report by BBC, Anthony Albanese, the Prime Minister of Australia has proposed laws which will be tabled in parliament next week. The new proposed law aims to curb the harm that social media is causing to children. Parents “are worried sick about the safety of our kids online. I want Australian families to know that the government has your back,” BBC quoted Anthony Albanese.
Ban On Social Media For Children?
Based on the reports, if the law is passed, there will be no ban on young people who are already on social media. Albanese suggests that the law will basically put the responsibility on social media giants to ensure that their users are above a certain age instead of the parents who are worried about their kids’ safety online. Plus, parents don’t need to worry as there will be no penalties for users under 16. Once the law is passed, legislation will take around 12 months to come into action.
Experts Expressed Their Concerns
While it may seem a perfect law for many parents and the Australian government, but several experts suggest that the ban on social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and others for young people will ultimately restrict them from understanding how to effectively navigate these platforms. Earlier, the European Union also tried to ban social media for children which soon faced backlash from tech firms.
The crucial question which is still left unanswered by the Australian government is how will they implement the law into reality to ensure that children are safe from the dark side of social media platforms.
Comments are closed.