From the AP, the Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has introduced the first social media ban for children younger than the age of 16. Families need to take their children back from the influence and dangers of social media. What we know today and the harmful effects of social media on children should be a wake up call. Will other countries follow Australia's example?
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomed a world-first social media ban for children younger than 16 that took effect Wednesday as families taking back power from tech giants but warned the implementation would be difficult.
Many children posted farewell messages, while parents reported distraught children discovering they’d been shut out of platforms as the landmark law took effect.
Some young children reported fooling the platforms’ age estimation technology by drawing on facial hair.
Australia should be the example for all countries to put the health and welfare of children ahead of tech giant profits and influence.
Albanese later told a gathering of reform supporters at his official Sydney residence, including parents who blame social media for a child’s suicide.
Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube and Twitch face fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars ($32.9 million) from Wednesday if they fail to take reasonable steps to remove the accounts of Australian children younger than 16.