The New York Times (11/28, Kim ) reported, “Australia has imposed a sweeping ban on social media for children under 16, one of the world’s most comprehensive measures aimed at safeguarding young people from potential hazards online.” However, “many details were still unclear, such as how it will be enforced and what platforms will be covered.” According to the Times, “after sailing through Parliament’s lower house on Wednesday, the bill passed the Senate on Thursday with bipartisan support.” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese “said that it puts Australia at the vanguard of efforts to protect the mental health and well-being of children from detrimental effects of social media, such as online hate or bullying.”
The AP (11/28, McGuirk ) reported, “The law will make platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram liable for fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars ($33 million) for systemic failures to prevent children younger than 16 from holding accounts.” The social media “platforms have one year to work out how they could implement the ban before penalties are enforced.”
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— “The New York Times (requires login and subscription)