Minister to meet social media bosses as ban looms
Australia will, for the first time in the world, outline how it wants online age restrictions to be implemented in meetings with senior social media executives as the ban approaches.
In the coming days, Communications Minister Anika Wells and eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant will meet with representatives from Facebook and Instagram’s parent company Meta, Snapchat, YouTube and TikTok.
Another meeting with Elon Musk’s X is planned for November.
Since most of the executives involved are based in the US, the talks, which will be held digitally, will allow the government to outline its expectations for the platforms before the minimum age requirement kicks in on December 10.
Representatives of the practice will also be able to ask Ms. Wells and Ms. Inman Grant questions about the details of the policy.
“Within two months our world-leading social media minimum age laws will liberate children from the persuasive pull of the platforms,” Ms Wells said in a statement.
“These platforms must work closely with eSafety to ensure their systems comply with the law.”
From December 10, social media companies will be required to take reasonable steps to prevent children under 16 from having accounts on their platforms.
Labor argues the policy will help protect young Australians from harmful online content until they are old enough to better understand it.
“There is a place on social media, but there is no place for predatory algorithms that harm children,” Ms. Wells said.
But the road to the ban was marred by confusion over exactly which platforms would be covered.
The government says Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X and YouTube will be included, but other platforms such as WhatsApp, Roblox, Reddit and Discord may also be included.
The government is preparing to launch an advertising campaign outlining the details of the ban to ensure parents and children are prepared.
Labor has made social media age restrictions a defining issue and is lobbying other countries to do the same.
Ms Wells traveled to New York in September with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to discuss the ban with world leaders.
The European Union is now considering similar laws banning children from social media.
