Social media sites call for Australia to delay its ban on child use

SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS are urging the Australian government to delay laws that would ban children under 16 years old from using their websites until next year.

A representatives for some the the major social media platforms told the Australian senate that the platforms, politicians and industry are still not aware of how the ban will work and said that the roll out should be postponed. 

Managing director of Digital Industry Group Inc, which represents X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok Sunita Bose said the Parliament would wait until an independent evaluation of the technologies, commissioned by government, should be published first.

The report’s deadline is set for June 2025. 

A failure to introduce frameworks to be in line with the legislation banning the use of social media among those under the age of 16 comes with the possibility of fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars (€31.1 million).

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It seems likely to be passed by the Australian Parliament by Thursday, with the support of the major parties. The legislation take effect a year after the bill becomes a law, to allow for the platforms to develop the framework.

Bose took questions from Senators today, with many questioning the safety of such platforms among young people.

While the social media representative said the platforms were safe, one senator asked why the algorithms do not prevent harmful material from being directed to children.

Algorithms have been accused of keeping technology-addicted children connected to platforms and of flooding users with harmful material that promotes suicide and eating disorders.

“Your platforms have the ability to do that. The only thing that’s stopping them is themselves and their greed,” the senator said.

Bose said that the algorithms were in place to protect younger people, which includes settings to filter out certain content – such as nudity. She added that there is consistent investment to improve these systems.