<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?> <docID>334260</docID> <postdate>2024-11-29 13:43:47</postdate> <headline>Tech giant concern as social media ban passes</headline> <body><p><img class=" wp-image-318487" src="https://citynews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/pexels-pixabay-159395-e1718321181763.jpg" alt="" width="899" height="599" /></p> <caption>A social media ban on children under 16 years will take effect in 12 months.</caption> <p><span class="kicker-line">By <b>Andrew Brown </b>and<b> Tess Ikonomou</b> in Canberra</span></p> <p><strong>Social media platforms have hit out at an incoming age limit for Australian children after laws passed federal parliament.</strong></p> <p>In a world first, children under 16 will be banned from using social media, after the House of Representatives signed off on the proposal on Friday,</p> <p>The laws, which will come into effect from late 2025, will capture platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit and X (formerly Twitter)</p> <p>Exemptions will apply for health and education services including YouTube, Messenger Kids, WhatsApp, Kids Helpline and Google Classroom.</p> <p>Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, said while they respected the decision by federal parliament, issues remained with how the ban would be enforced.</p> <p>"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," a spokesman for Meta said.</p> <p>"The task now turns to ensuring there is productive consultation on all rules associated with the bill to ensure a technically feasible outcome that does not place an onerous burden on parents and teens and a commitment that rules will be consistently applied across all social apps used by teens."</p> <p>Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said social media companies would have a greater responsibility to keep children safe online.</p> <p>"Platforms now have a social responsibility to ensure the safety of our kids is a priority for them," he told reporters in Canberra on Friday.</p> <p>"Parents can have a different discussion with their young ones, a different discussion that will result in better outcomes and less harm for young Australians."</p> <p>Social media sites will have to take reasonable steps to prevent under-16s from creating accounts, with $50 million fines to be imposed on companies for systemic breaches.</p> <p>Mr Albanese said the 12-month gap between the laws being passed and coming into effect will ensure the changes will be effective.</p> <p>"What we've done is world leading. We'll work to make sure that it's got right. But the legislation is very clear," he said.</p> <p>"We don't argue that its implementation will be perfect. Just like the alcohol ban for under 18 , it doesn't mean that someone under 18 never has access, but we know that it's the right thing to do."</p> <p>Age-verification trials on how young people would be stopped from accessing social media are still ongoing.</p> <p>The Meta spokesman said an option would be age verification through operating systems or app stores.</p> <p>Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said the ban would be a relief to parents.</p> <p>"It's something that most, most parents around the country would give a head nod to, because these big tech companies only see our kids as a profit-making venture," he told Nine's Today program.</p> <p>"Hopefully we can keep young kids, young impressionable minds, off Snapchat and other social media platforms."</p> <p>Opposition communications spokesman David Coleman said the coalition would make enforcing the bans a priority, should they win government at the next election.</p> <p>"This new law will make a real difference for Australian families," he said.</p> <p>"It has taken longer than we would have liked for the government to act, but we are pleased that this law has now passed the parliament."</p> <p>Communications Minister Michelle Rowland has said social media users won't be forced to hand over government-issued IDs including passports to verify their age.</p> <p>But it's unclear how age would be confirmed without identity verification, a parliamentary committee found.</p> <p>DIGI managing director Sunita Bose said there were still many questions about how the ban would work.</p> <p>"The social media ban could push young people into darker, less safe corners of the internet that do not have the safety guardrails that exist on mainstream platforms," she said.</p> </body>