Australia passes world’s 1st social media ban for kids under 16

Following two weeks of heated debates, Australia’s senate has officially voted to pass legislation to ban children under the age of 16 from using social media. Made official on Thursday, this bill will force platforms to take reasonable steps to ensure age-verification protections are in place or face fines of up to AUD$49.5 million. Trial methods to enforce the ban are expected to begin in January before the law takes full effect next November. And now, commotion is being stirred up on an international level as the rule sets a standard for other nations to follow in a push to curb the power of big tech. Social media giant Meta says the ban should be delayed until the age-verification trial finishes, while TikTok says the bill needs more consultation. What do kids think? Well, 17-year-old Leonardo Puglisi – who started his own livestreaming news network at 11 years old – believes it will “stifle creativity” and take away opportunities for Australian kids who, like himself, have passions that require access to social media. Enie Lam, a 16-year-old girl from Sydney, thinks that if the government wants to decrease social media usage among minors, that “we should take it upon ourselves to regulate our own personal social media usage.” For more info, please go to https://globalnews.ca/news/10892575/australia-social-media-ban-under-16-worlds-first/ Subscribe to Global News Channel HERE: http://bit.ly/20fcXDc Like Global News on Facebook HERE: http://bit.ly/255GMJQ Follow Global News on X HERE: http://bit.ly/1Toz8mt Follow Global News on Instagram HERE: https://bit.ly/2QZaZIB #GlobalNews #SocialMediaBan #Australia