Australia's Social Media Restrictions: Push Against Big Tech

Australia has taken a significant step in regulating tech giants by introducing a strict social media ban for children under 16 years. This regulation is among the most restrictive measures globally and poses major challenges for technology giants like Meta, TikTok, and Snapchat. From January, there will be a preliminary test to see how these measures can be enforced, with the complete ban set to take effect in a year. Non-compliance could result in substantial fines amounting to millions. The self-regulation of social networks stipulates that users must be at least 13 years old to register. However, child protection organizations criticize this approach as inadequate. Statistics from various European countries show a considerable number of children under 13 with social media accounts, leading to further discussions and calls for regulation. In the UK, there are currently no concrete plans to adopt Australian measures, yet Digital Minister Peter Kyle has announced an investigation into the impact of children’s use of digital media. The Online Safety Act, soon to be enacted, already regulates higher standards for platforms like Facebook and YouTube. Norway has recently proposed raising the consent age for social media use from 13 to 15 years, while the European Union requires parental consent for processing the data of children under 16, allowing member states to lower the minimum age to 13. France plans stricter rules for minors’ social media use, and Germany maintains its age restrictions, although further legislation is not planned. In Belgium, children have been allowed to use social networks from the age of 13 without parental consent since 2018. The Netherlands, on the other hand, have no specific age restrictions but plan to ban mobile phones in classrooms starting January 2024. Italy requires parental consent only up to the age of 14.