Canberra: The Australian government is working on legislating a law banning children under 16 from using social media platforms, announced the Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, on Thursday.
According to Kuwait News Agency, in a press conference, Albanese called for putting an end to the harm caused by overuse of social media platforms, citing both physical and mental health risks. The legislation will be submitted to parliament, to be implemented 12 months after ratification, he added saying that these platforms must now prove that they are taking suitable measures.
Australia is trying out a system to check age as part of a packet of strict rules regulating children’s use of social media platforms. Australian Minister of Communications, Michelle Rowland, called this a pioneering step clarifying that it would encompass all of Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X, and YouTube.