Australia Steps Up Protection for Minors on Social Media

The Australian government is pushing for stronger policies to prevent minors under 16 from using social media (SNS) accounts. Having judged that the policy, enacted globally first last year, did not achieve sufficient effectiveness, it plans to hold companies legally responsible and expand protections for minors through new legislation.

In particular, the government is reviewing the introduction of a 'digital caregiver obligation' bill to hold companies accountable for potential damages SNS platforms may inflict on minors, and is also considering imposing hefty fines on companies that fail to prevent underage account creation. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that the focus is on empowering the eSafety Commissioner, the online safety regulator, to adequately enforce SNS blocking measures, and on creating robust laws that can withstand any legal challenges.

According to a study published in the esteemed medical journal 'British Medical Journal (BMJ)', 85% of 408 Australian adolescents aged 12-15 continued to use SNS three months after account blocking measures were implemented. Approximately two-thirds of the study participants were recognized as being 16 or older through false answers or by using their appearance.