Australia's Senate on Thursday passed a bill banning social media for minors. Australia will soon become the first country in the world to enact a law banning social media for children. This law is likely to come into effect from November, 2025. According to this law, social media platforms like Facebook, Snapchat, X and Instagram will have to ban children under the age of 16 from having accounts. If the platform fails to ban children's accounts, the platform will have to pay a fine of up to Rs 278 crore.
The Senate passed the bill with 34 votes in favor and 19 against. The social media platform will be given one year to work on the process of enforcing the ban before imposing penalties. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that social media is harming our children. And I laugh at this point. Minor users are not allowed even if they have parental consent.
However, there has been opposition to this bill. Greens Party member Sen David Shoebridge said mental health experts believe the ban could be dangerous for children who use social media to seek support. This law will particularly harm children from rural areas and the LGBTQ community the most.'
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