Australia passes bill that will see children under 16 BANNED from social media in world-first law

Our proposal is to revise Law No. 5651 to impose a prohibition on social media use for individuals under 13, specifically targeting students in the middle-school age bracket,

he elaborated

Last week, the parliament’s own committee said the ‘causal link with social media appears unclear,’ with respect to the mental health of young Australians, whereas this week the rushed Senate Committee report pronounced that social media caused harm,

it said in a statement in the early hours of Friday

Moving forward, it's critical that the Australian government works closely with industry to fix issues created by this rushed process. We want to work together to keep teens safe and reduce the unintended consequences of this law for all Australians,

it said

It] sets Australia up as a test case for a growing number of governments which have legislated, or have said they plan to legislate, an age restriction on social media,

their article read

This risks driving children into less regulated spaces and restricting their access to valuable online tools,

she noted

This legislation risks silencing young innovators, no matter their passions or career goals,

Puglisi stated, vowing that 6 News would continue its operations

We’ve got your back,

Albanese assured Australian parents, underscoring the government’s commitment to children’s safety

While we acknowledge the challenges associate with online platforms, this legislation fails to consider the positive aspects of social media in supporting young people’s mental health and sense of connection,

Stone said

The Land of Kangaroos has just accepted a bill to fine social networks that tolerate accounts opened by children to the tune of millions. Blick asked the Australian Minister of Communication how and why it was urgent to act. And Michelle Rowland answered us!,

the Blick story said

Peter Kyletechnology Secretary

I am totally opened minded and I certainly keep everything on the table as we go forward,

Kyle said

What other generation in history has grown up being exposed to as much damaging content as this generation?,

he told Sky News

As always, Snap will comply with any applicable laws and regulations in Australia,

it said

We are concerned about the process, which rushed the legislation through while failing to properly consider the evidence, what industry already does to ensure age-appropriate experiences, and the voices of young people,

the company said in a statement

It's also obvious that the people who have drafted and fought for the particular elements of this bill actually have no idea how young people engage with the internet,

she added

It's entirely likely the ban could see young people pushed to darker corners of the internet where no community guidelines, safety tools, or protections exist,

a TikTok spokesperson said

We've been built up by having 13 to 15-year-olds see 6 News online and then join the team,

Puglisi said in a statement

We have said that this ban seriously risks restricting creativity from our young people, no matter what passion or future career they want to explore,

he added

I don't think it will actually change a lot because I don't see that there's really a strong way to police it,

41-year-old Emily Beall told Agence France-Presse in Melbourne

This ban risks pushing children into increasingly covert and unregulated online spaces as well as preventing them from accessing aspects of the online world essential to their wellbeing,

she said

I think it's good that the government is on this ban. But in terms of enforcement, I'm not sure how it will be carried out,

he said