Melbourne, Australia — MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The Australian government has begun a public education campaign with tips on how to keep children off social media before… The world’s first national 16-year-old age limit Take effect in December.
Australian e-Safety Commissioner Julie Inman-Grant said on Friday that the information on her agency’s website, esafety.gov.au, He explained the new laws and how to deal with them.
As of December 10, platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok,
Awareness-raising messages will also be shared starting Sunday across digital channels, television, radio and billboards.
“We want children to have a childhood. We want parents to have peace of mind and we want young people – young Australians – to have another three years to learn who they are before platforms know who they are,” Communications Minister Annika Wells told reporters, referring to the current effective maximum age for social media accounts of 13 based on US privacy legislation.
Australian age restrictions already exist Prove polarityWith some experts warning that the changes will harm and protect children as well. more than 140 Australian and international academics The company signed an open letter to the government last year opposing social media age caps as “too explicit a tool to effectively address risk”.
Despite this warning, Laws were issued With the resounding support last year. Platforms have had a year to figure out how to comply without foolproof technology to verify ages.
Inman-Grant said age restrictions on social media would be a “pretty huge event for a lot of young people.”
She said her agency offered checklists and conversation starters about ways to make that shift, such as following an influencer online through a website instead of a social media account.
“How can we start weaning them off social media now so it’s not such a shock come December 10? How do we help them download their archives and memories and how do we make sure they’re in touch with friends and aware of mental health support if they’re feeling down when they’re not tied to their phones over the holiday period?” She added.
Australia’s move is being closely watched by countries that share concerns about the impact of social media on young children.
Denmark’s ambassador to Australia, Ingrid Dahl Madsen, said her government would use its current EU Council presidency to advance the agenda of protecting children from the harms of social media.
“This is something that is a global challenge and we’re all looking at how we can manage it better and we’re looking to Australia and we’ll be looking at what Australia is doing,” Dahl Madsen told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in Melbourne on Monday.
“It is very important that Australia, Denmark and the EU share lessons, compare experiences, and we can move forward with practical progress on this,” she added. It was about “protecting our children in this increasingly complex digital world.”
Last week, the Danish government proposed legislation setting the maximum age at 15 years. But Dahl Madsen said Denmark would consider allowing parents to exempt their children aged 13-14. Australia does not have a similar exemption.