Australia Plans to Strengthen Social Media Ban for Children
The Australian government is set to enhance its regulations regarding children's access to social media. This follows findings that a significant number of under-16s are using these platforms despite existing restrictions. (sources: nytimes, theguardian, npr)
The Australian government announced plans to increase penalties for breaches of its social media ban for children. The Prime Minister indicated that current measures have not effectively kept young users off platforms.
- The government will double the penalty for violations of the social media ban to $99 million.
- New powers will be granted to a regulatory body to enforce these rules more effectively.
- A study revealed that four in five Australians under 16 are using social media despite the ban.
Why it matters
The government's actions aim to address concerns about children's safety online and the effectiveness of existing regulations.
↓ Congress can act on this
5 bills on this issue are moving right now — and the most active one is HR7757: KIDS Act.
HR7757 · 119th Congress
KIDS Act
Where do you stand on this bill?
Takes about 60 seconds
About this bill
What HR7757 actually does
This story is about Australia Plans to Strengthen Social Media Ban for Children. This bill would create one federal rulebook for many online services used by minors.
If passed, it would:
- create a broader federal child-online-safety framework spanning platform design, parental tools, and privacy • serve as the most immediate House vehicle for rules affecting how minors access social-media-like services.
4 other bills moving on this issue
Take action on any of them individually.
This story is about Australia Plans to Strengthen Social Media Ban for Children. This bill would prohibit social media platforms from knowingly allowing children under 13 to hold accounts.
If passed, it would
- prohibit social media platforms from knowingly allowing children under 13 to hold accounts • generally bar personalized recommendation systems for users under 17 and tie school restrictions to E-Rate support.
This story is about Australia Plans to Strengthen Social Media Ban for Children. This bill would require covered platforms to provide safeguards and parental tools for users under 17.
If passed, it would
- require covered platforms to provide safeguards and parental tools for users under 17 • create enforceable duties around platform practices tied to youth harms.
This story is about Australia Plans to Strengthen Social Media Ban for Children. This bill would expand and strengthen minors’ online privacy protections, including for teens.
If passed, it would
- expand and strengthen minors’ online privacy protections, including for teens • limit how platforms can collect, use, and disclose minors’ personal information.
This story is about Australia Plans to Strengthen Social Media Ban for Children. This bill would require major app stores to verify adult parental accounts and connect them to minors’ accounts.
If passed, it would
- require major app stores to verify adult parental accounts and connect them to minors’ accounts • shift some child-access enforcement burden from social platforms to app-store gatekeepers.