Featured

Path-Breaking Legislation: Social Media To Be Banned For Children Under 16 In This Country

By
OB Bureau

New Delhi: The internet and social media are considered to be harmful for children. But with smartphones and connectivity being easily available these days, there is not much parents can do to completely stop their kids from accessing social media.

In what could be a path-breaking move, Australia is set to ban social media for children under 16, reported Reuters.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Thursday his government will bring in such a legislation, which he claims will be a world-leading move.

“Social media is doing harm to our kids and I’m calling time on it,” Albanese told a news conference.

Legislation will be introduced in Parliament this year itself, and the law will come into effect 12 months after it is ratified by lawmakers, Albanese added.

There will be no exemptions for users even if they have parental consent.

“The onus will be on social media platforms to demonstrate they are taking reasonable steps to prevent access. The onus won’t be on parents or young people,” the PM added.

Among the affected platforms will be Meta Platforms’ Instagram and Facebook, Bytedance’s TikTok, Elon Musk’s X and Alphabet’s YouTube, said Communications Minister Michelle Rowland.

There was no immediate reaction from the four social media companies.

Some countries have vowed to curb social media use by children through legislation, but Australia’s proposed policy is arguably the most stringent.

France last year proposed a ban on social media for those under 15, but users were able to avoid the ban with parental consent.

The USA requires technology companies to seek parental consent to access the data of children under 13, leading to most social media platforms banning those under that age from accessing their services.

OB Bureau

Recent Posts

‘I Want To Talk’: Twitterati Lauds Abhishek Bachchan, Say He Is Better Than Amitabh

Mumbai: Abhishek Bachchan’s highly-anticipated film ‘I Want To Talk’ released in theatres on Friday, and the…

November 22, 2024

Cash-For-Vote Row: BJP Leader’s Defamation Notice Against Rahul Gandhi, Kharge

New Delhi: Accused of giving cash to secure votes ahead of election day in Maharashtra,…

November 22, 2024

CM Mohan Majhi Attends ‘Odisha State Day’ Celebrations At IITF In Delhi

Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi attended the ‘Odisha State Day Celebrations’ at the 43rd…

November 22, 2024

Vishal Aditya Singh Calls Shweta Tiwari ‘Mom’, Breaks Silence On Fake Wedding Pictures

Mumbai: Recently, some morphed pictures of actress Shweta Tiwari and her good friend Vishal Aditya…

November 22, 2024

2 Tribal Men Get Life Imprisonment For Gangraping Minor Girl In Odisha

Phulbani: Two tribal men were sentenced to life imprisonment by a special court in Odisha's…

November 22, 2024

Atishi Or Kejriwal, Who Is The Better CM? Delhi’s Lt Gov Takes His Pick

New Delhi: It’s been just over two months since Atishi took oath as Delhi’s chief…

November 22, 2024

Dr Manita Tamang Of AIIMS Bhubaneswar Receives UC Chakroborty Award

Bhubaneswar: In a moment of pride for AIIMS Bhubaneswar, Dr Manita Tamang, a final-year Senior…

November 22, 2024

Amid Fresh Violence, 10,000 Additional Soldiers To Be Sent To Manipur

Imphal: In view of the surge in violence in troubled Manipur, the Central government will send…

November 22, 2024