MELBOURNE: Social media giants on Friday (Nov 29) hit out at a landmark Australian law banning them from signing up under-16s, describing it as a rush job littered with “many unanswered questions”.
The UN children’s charity UNICEF Australia joined the fray, warning the law was no “silver bullet” against online harm and could push kids into “covert and unregulated” spaces online.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the legislation may not be implemented perfectly — much like existing age restrictions on alcohol – but it was “the right thing to do”.
The crackdown on sites like Facebook, Instagram and X, approved by parliament late on Thursday, will lead to “better outcomes and less harm for young Australians”, he told reporters.
Platforms have a “social responsibility” to make children’s safety a priority, the prime minister said.
“We’ve got your back, is our message to Australian parents.”
Social media firms that fail to comply with the law face fines of up to A$50 million (US$32.5 million).
TikTok said on Friday it was “disappointed” in the law, accusing the government of ignoring mental health, online safety and youth experts who had opposed the ban.
“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.
“UNANSWERED QUESTIONS”
Tech companies said that despite the law’s perceived shortcomings, they would engage with the government on shaping how it could be implemented in the next 12 months.
The legislation offers almost no details on how the rules will be enforced – prompting concern among experts that it will simply be a symbolic, unenforceable piece of legislation.
Meta – owner of Facebook and Instagram – called for consultation on the rules to ensure a “technically feasible outcome that does not place an onerous burden on parents and teens”.
But the company added it was 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”.
