Australia’s House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a bill banning children under 16 from using social media, but finalisation of the world’s first law remains with the Senate.
The country’s main parties backed the bill, which would make TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram liable to fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars ($33 million) for breaking the law.
A total of 102 MPs voted in favour of the document, with 13 against. It is expected to become law as early as this week. Internet platforms will have exactly one year to figure out how to put the age restrictions into practice.
Platforms may not require users to provide identification documents, including passports and driving licences. It is also forbidden to request digital identification through a government system.
Critics of the law, however, argue that the law “will change exactly nothing about the harms that social media causes.” Independent Australian MP Zoe Daniel said the true purpose of the law is to make parents and voters feel that the government is on to it.
