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Australia's House of Representatives passes bill to ban children under 16 from social media

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A bill banning children under 16 from social media has passed the Australian House of Representatives, with 102 votes in favor and 13 against. The legislation holds social media platforms responsible for age restrictions, potentially leading to fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars (around 33 million US dollars) if they allow young children to create accounts.

    1. While there are many unanswered questions about how this law will be implemented in practice, we will engage closely with the Government and the eSafety Commissioner during the 12-month implementation period to help develop an approach that balances privacy, safety and practicality. As always, Snap will comply with any applicable laws and regulations in Australia.
    1. We understand we are vulnerable to the risks and negative impacts of social media… but we need to be involved in developing solutions.
    1. This is a global problem and we want young Australians essentially to have a childhood.
    2. It's not the only thing that we need to do to protect them, but it's a great step.
    3. We know that social media can be a weapon for bullies, a platform for peer pressure, a driver of anxiety, a vehicle for scammers. And worst of all, a tool for online predators.
    1. This is boomers trying to tell young people how the internet should work.
    1. This policy will hurt vulnerable young people the most, especially in regional communities and especially the LGBTQI community, by cutting them off.
    1. It's not the only thing that we need to do to protect them because education is the key, but to provide some immediate support for our children and parents to be able to manage this, it's a great step.
    2. There is a reason why the government parades this legislation as world-leading, that's because no other country wants to do it.
    1. Will it be perfect? No. But is any law perfect? No, it's not. But if it helps, even if it helps in just the smallest of ways, it will make a huge difference to people's lives.
    1. This is a responsibility these companies should have been fulfilling long ago, but for too long they have shirked these responsibilities in favor of profit.
    2. The core focus of this legislation is simple: It demands that social media companies take reasonable steps to identify and remove underage users from their platforms.
    3. We have drawn a line in the sand. The enormous power of big tech can no longer remain unchecked in Australia.