Social media giants to front up for child-ban grilling
Social media giants have succumbed to pressure to come forward ahead of an investigation into online security before massive subpoenas would be needed to force them out.
How companies ban those under 16 from their platforms will be the focus of senators’ debate on Tuesday.
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young had previously threatened to force executives from TikTok, Snapchat and Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, to join the inquiry into online security after they failed to turn up at an earlier hearing.
However, all three companies agreed to give their views on the social media ban at the hearing without a subpoena.
Children under 16 will be banned from accessing social media platforms from December 10, but there will be exceptions for healthcare and education services, including WhatsApp and Meta’s Messenger Kids.
Gaming platforms have been listed for exemption, but eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said the list of banned platforms will be “dynamic” and subject to review.
The law obliges companies to “identify and disable or remove” accounts of underage users.
This means approximately 1.5 million accounts on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Threads and X will be disabled in less than two months.
Google had previously told the investigation that the ban would be extremely difficult to enforce, and that a lack of detail on how the platform plans to implement age verification systems has clouded the ban since its announcement.
Platforms face fines of up to $50 million if they fail to take reasonable steps to comply with the ban, but there will be no penalties imposed on young people or their families if they access the platforms.
The three tech giants have held meetings with Ms Inman Grant and Communications Minister Anika Wells to discuss expectations for their roles.
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