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Human Rights Commissioner warns Labor not to rush social media laws
Australia’s Human Rights Commissioner has raised concerns about Labor’s crackdown on digital platforms, warning that rushed laws to impose minimum age limits on social media could cause more harm than intended. Source: Canberra Times.
No penalty for underage teens using social media after age ban
Underage users who defy the Albanese Government’s pending social media age restriction will not be penalised, while platforms that can prove they are at low risk of harming children may be exempted. Source: The Australian.
Parents support social media ban but divided on age limit
Parents “generally agree” the risk of online harm to children, such as bullying, exposure to pornography and predatory activity, needs to be reduced, but a national age-based ban has met with mixed responses. Source: The Catholic Weekly.
Tech companies undermine social media ban on teenagers
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s pre-election pledge to ban teenagers from social media is being undermined by tech companies refusing to enforce adequate verification barriers and delays in government trials to shield children from digital harms. Source: The Australian.
Albanese to announce plans to block children from social media
Children will be blocked from social media under sweeping national plans to shield young people from online harm by mandating strict age barriers in federal law and punishing tech giants that break the rules. Source: The Age.
Social media giant says parents should have power to block apps
Social media giant Meta wants Australia to force Google and Apple to build age verification tools into their app stores, giving parents the power to block children under 16 from downloading social media apps. Source: Sydney Morning Herald.
Premiers join forces to protect young from social media
South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas has joined forces with New South Wales Premier Chris Minns to stage a summit in October to debate tighter and higher age restrictions for social media use. Source: The Australian.
Advocates hit out at slow progress of social media reform
Digital rights and privacy advocates have vented their frustration at the federal government’s slow progress in reining in social media companies amid harms such as disinformation, radicalisation and the decline of public interest journalism. Source: Canberra Times.
Tech companies will not be forced to join $6.5m age assurance trial
Major tech platforms including Meta, TikTok and Snapchat will not be forced to be part of the Albanese Government’s $6.5 million age assurance trial, with the department relying on the “goodwill” of platforms to test the new technology. Source: Canberra Times.