Australia passes law for more youth protection on social networks

The Australian government has taken a significant step towards protecting young people online with the passing of the Online Safety Amendment Bill 2024. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that the country has fulfilled its promise to support parents and protect minors by now requiring a minimum age of 16 for the use of social media. The new law places the responsibility on the platforms themselves, rather than on the young users or their parents. This regulation forces companies to take effective measures to prevent Australians under the age of 16 from registering social media accounts. In the case of systematic violations, platforms face hefty fines of up to 49.5 million US dollars. Particularly affected are age-restricted social media services, which are specifically defined in the law. These include well-known platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and X. They must now rethink and implement new age verification procedures to comply with legal requirements.