Background and motivation of the new bill

Australia recently passed a controversial bill that bans children under the age of 16 from using major social media platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat. The background of this bill stems from a focus on the mental health problems faced by young people through their use of social media, especially bullying, extreme content and suicides on social media. According to a World Health Organization (WHO) survey of 280,000 school-age children around the world, excessive use of social media has a profound negative impact on the psychology and development of young people, and countries are called on to take urgent action. This new bill is part of the Australian government's response to this call.

Specific content and controversy of Australia's ban

Under the new bill, digital platforms will be responsible for mandatory verification of user age, and companies that violate the rules will face fines of up to AUD 50 million (approximately US$32 million). However, the government has ruled out using official documents such as passports to verify age due to concerns about privacy violations. Specific provisions of the bill exclude websites such as YouTube that are considered educational or health value, although the comment areas of these platforms may still be filled with harmful content. In addition, online gaming and instant messaging platforms such as WhatsApp and Discord are also exempt, although they can also become venues for cyberbullying and abduction.

Support and opposition to the bill

Although the bill has 77% support among the Australian public (according to a YouGov survey), many large technology companies oppose it. Meta Platforms believes the bill ignores the reality of age verification technology and questions whether it can truly protect young people, which could instead lead them to turn to unregulated cyberspace. Twitter (now X) expressed concerns about the legality of the bill and said it would consider filing a legal challenge. TikTok criticized the bill for being too hasty and difficult to implement, and pointed out that many technical issues had not been resolved. Such opposition has also been echoed in academia. Lisa Given, a professor of information science at RMIT University in Australia, pointed out that the ban is too simple and does not address the fundamental issue of the generation of harmful content on social media.

International responses and challenges

The global response to Australia's ban has been strong. UNICEF warns that such bans could push children into a darker and unregulated cyberspace and weaken their right to access important information. In response, UNICEF called on countries to mandate social media companies to provide a safer and more age-appropriate online environment, rather than just banning children from using platforms. The implementation of the ban may trigger similar measures in more countries, especially in the United States and Europe. Florida and Texas in the United States have considered bills to restrict children's social media, and officials in France and the United Kingdom have also expressed concern about Australian legislation and may follow Australia's lead in adopting stricter regulations.