Australia bans social networks for children under 16: what is happening.

According to ТСН: Australia has started a ban on the use of social networks for individuals under 16, resulting in millions of children and teenagers losing access to their accounts.

Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, YouTube, Snapchat, Reddit, Kick, Twitch, and TikTok are required to delete accounts of users under 16 and prohibit the registration of new teenage accounts. Companies that do not comply with these requirements could face fines of up to 49.5 million dollars.

The introduction of this law is accompanied by technical difficulties: some teenagers were able to pass age verification using facial tests, however, the government acknowledges that the full effectiveness of the ban is not guaranteed from the outset.

"Bluesky, an alternative to X, has also announced a ban for users under 16, despite eSafety's assessment as a 'low-risk' platform due to a small number of users (about 50 thousand in Australia)"

In recent weeks, children and teenagers have gone through age verification, changed phone numbers, and prepared to deactivate their accounts. The age verification service k-ID has conducted hundreds of thousands of checks for platforms like Snapchat.

Different reactions from parents to the ban

Parents react to this ban in different ways: some note the stress and frustration in children who are left without access to social networks, others, on the contrary, consider it a positive step in the fight against social media addiction. Some parents have even begun teaching teenagers how to bypass restrictions using VPNs and create accounts as adults.

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese noted that although the ban may have its drawbacks from the outset, this law clearly defines a national safety standard for children. About two-thirds of Australians support raising the minimum age for social media use to 16 years.

This law has garnered wide international interest. Several countries, including Malaysia, Denmark, and Norway, are considering similar restrictions. The European Union has passed a resolution regarding similar measures, and a British government representative stated that they are 'carefully monitoring Australia's approach.'

The eSafety regulator will be responsible for monitoring compliance with the law by platforms and independently assessing its impact on children. They will also analyze potential unforeseen consequences, such as children moving to 'darker corners of the internet' and attempts to bypass restrictions using VPNs.

For its part, Snapchat expressed understanding regarding the frustration of teenagers, but urged them not to share personal contacts in public profiles.

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The ban on social networks for youth in Australia could be an important step in combating the influence of social media on children and teenagers, as this issue is becoming increasingly relevant in the world. Monitoring the reactions of other countries to this law may indicate the potential development of similar initiatives in the future.