This country bans Social Media for children under 16 years, becoming first in the world to do so; It is…
According to reports, all platforms had agreed to block children's accounts and restrict their access.
New Delhi: Australia Social Media Ban: The decision that had been the subject of much discussion for several days came into effect in Australia on Wednesday, December 10. Australia has become the first country in the world to ban the use of social media for children under 16 years of age. This is a landmark decision and a probable precedent for the rest of the world. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the decision a day of pride. Now, Australian children will not be able to use popular social media platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook.
What did the Australian Prime Minister say?
As soon as the order came into effect, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese released a video message. He said that this ban is an opportunity to take back power from big tech companies, let children be children, and give parents peace of mind. Earlier, 10 major social media platforms in Australia were ordered to block their content for children. The order came into effect on Tuesday night, December 9. Failure to comply could have resulted in a hefty fine of $33 million for the companies.
Tech Companies Protest
Companies, including Facebook and TikTok, were protesting the Australian government’s decision. Parents were in favour of it. The Australian PM called it a day of pride and said that it would bring about a big change. The Australian government conducted several studies before arriving at this decision. Most of them showed that social media affects the mental health of children.
Star Kids Bid Farewell to Followers
Before their accounts were banned, those children who were popular on social media platforms said goodbye to their followers. According to reports, all platforms had agreed to block children’s accounts and restrict their access, but X, owned by Elon Musk, was not initially willing. It was the last to agree to comply with the rules. When this whole issue came to light earlier this year, Google-owned YouTube was also accused of wrongdoing. It was alleged that YouTube had avoided a ban by negotiating with the government. However, the new rules now include YouTube, and it has had to block its content for children under 16 years of age.
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