Australia’s highly-anticipated social media ban is set to be enforced at midnight Wednesday, curbing under-16 children access to various social media platforms.
By implementing a minimum age for social media use, the social media giants, such as TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram are compelled to block more than 3 million accounts, marking the beginning of a global push for tighter regulations.
The enforcement of the ban will take place under the supervision of eSafety Commissioner, an Australian regulator.
Under this ban, more than 10 of the platforms will be obliged to block Australian teens under 16 and be fined up to $49.5 million.
Although, the law received a major praise from child activists, advocates, and parents, tech moguls and companies slammed this decision.
According to Tama Leaver, a professor of internet studies at Curtin University, "While Australia is the first to adopt such restrictions, it is unlikely to be the last.”
"Governments around the world are watching how the power of Big Tech was successfully taken on. The social media ban in Australia ... is very much the canary in the coal mine,” he added.
The British government spokesperson commented, “the government is closely assessing Australia’s approach to social media curb. When it comes to children's safety, nothing is off the table.”
The ban initially covered 10 major social platforms, including Meta, YouTube, and TikTok, but the list will likely be expanded. Among all the platforms, Elon Musk’s X has refused to comply with methods that are the part of ban, such as age estimation, age inference, and checking uploaded identification documents or linked bank accounts.
As per Musk, the ban "seems like a backdoor way to control access to the internet by all Australians" and most platforms have also argued that it infringes upon people's right to free speech. A legal challenge in the Australian High Court is still pending.
For businesses related to social media, the ban is seen as marking a “new era of structural stagnation” due to declined user numbers.
Major platforms has viewed it an blatant attack on freedom of expression, “the days of social media being seen as a platform for unbridled self-expression, I think, are coming to an end," said Terry Flew, the co-director of University of Sydney's Centre for AI, Trust and Governance.
Although Australia is the first country to impose an under-16 social media ban, some countries are also pursuing the approach to regulate children’s access to social media.
Britain’s Online Safety Act imposes tougher standards for social media platforms, thereby setting age restrictions to block teens from accessing harmful content. Similarly, China has also enforced “minor mode” program characterized by age-specific rules and device-level restrictions.
Governments ranging from Denmark, Norway, Italy, Germany, Malaysia, to the US, are also introducing similar legislative measures and safety measures to protect the children.
