Social media ban for children under 16 starts in Australia
Melbourne(Australia) (AP): Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomed a world-first social media ban for children younger than 16 that took effect Wednesday as families taking back power from tech giants but warned the implementation would be difficult.
Parents reported distraught children discovering they'd been shut out of platforms as the landmark law took effect. Some young children reported fooling the platforms' age estimation technology by drawing on facial hair. Parents and older siblings are also expected to help some children circumvent the restrictions.
“This is the day when Australian families are taking back power from these big tech companies and they're asserting the right of kids to be kids and for parents to have greater peace of mind,” Albanese told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
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“This reform will change lives. For Australian kids ... allowing them to just have their childhood. For Australian parents, enabling them to have greater peace of mind. But also for the global community, who are looking at Australia and saying: well, if Australia can do it, why can't we?” Albanese later told a Sydney gathering of reform supporters, including parents who blame social media for a child's suicide.
Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube and Twitch face fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars (USD 32.9 million) from Wednesday if they fail to take reasonable steps to remove the accounts of Australian children younger than 16.
Australia to report by Christmas if social media ban is working
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The ban will be enforced by Australia's eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant. She said the platforms already had the technology and personal data about their users to enforce the age restriction with precision.
She would send the 10 targeted platforms on Thursday notices demanding information on how the age restriction was being implemented and how many accounts had been closed.
“We will provide information to the public before Christmas on how these age restrictions are being implemented and whether preliminarily we see them working,” Inman Grant said.
“The responses to these notices will form the baseline against which we will measure compliance,” she added.
Communications Minister Anika Wells said the age-restricted platforms “may not agree with the law and that's their right — we don't expect 100 per cent universal support," but that all had undertaken to comply with the Australian law. She said more than 200,000 TikTok accounts in Australia had already been deactivated by Wednesday.
Wells also warned young children who had so far evaded detection that they would eventually be caught. A child who used a virtual private network to appear to be in Norway would be caught out if they were routinely posting images of Australian beaches, Wells said.
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“Just because they might have avoided it (detection) today doesn't mean they will be able to avoid it in a week's time or a month's time because social media platforms have to go back and routinely check under-16 accounts,” Wells said.
“These social media platforms have so much data on us because we choose to give it to them because we like social media and because you've had your older brother scan their face for you today, which has bought you a bit of time, doesn't mean that these accounts aren't going to see you talking to other 14-year-olds tonight about the under-16 soccer carnival on weekend, about your upcoming school holidays and what your Year 10 teacher is next year,” she added.
Albanese said the implementation would be difficult and “won't be perfect.”
“This is about, importantly, pushing back against big tech, saying that social media companies have a social responsibility,” he said.
Father of sextortion scam victim says social media ban is a start
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Wayne Holdsworth, who became an age restriction advocate because his son Mac took his own life after falling victim to an online sextortion scam, described the new law as a start. Children must now be educated about online dangers before they turn 16.
“Our kids that we've lost haven't died in vain because today they'll be looking down very proud of the work that we've all done,” Holdsworth told the Sydney gathering.
Flossie Brodribb, a 12-year-old advocate for a social media ban for young children, told the gathering she hoped other countries would follow Australia's lead.
“This ban is bold and brave and I believe it will help kids like me to grow up healthier, safer, kinder and more connected to the real world,” Flossie said.
Simone Clements said the social media ban would come at a financial cost to her 15-year-old twins Carlee and Hayden Clements. Carlee is an actor, model, dancer, singer and influencer. Her brother is an actor and model.
“I know that our situation is unique to our family because the kids are in the entertainment industry and social media goes hand-in-hand with the entertainment industry. We have used social media in the most positive way. And it's a platform for them to basically show their portfolio, and … this is an income stream for the children,” the mother told ABC.
Clements said the biggest impact on her children would be the loss of their young followers online.
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India wants to be powerful nation to ensure nobody dares to dictate terms to it, says Vice Prez
Bengaluru (PTI): Vice President C P Radhakrishnan on Wednesday said that India wants to be the "most powerful" country in the world, not to dominate or dictate unjustified norms to other countries, but to ensure that nobody dares to dictate terms to Bharat.
He also said that India is today no longer only an adopter of technology, but it is now emerging as the creators of technology. The initiatives like Digital India, Startup India, Make in India have made the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the country vibrant and supportive.
The Vice President was speaking at the Silver Jubilee Celebrations of CMR Institute of Technology here.
"Bharath will be marching towards the Viksit Bharat goal by 2047...We want to be the most powerful, not to dominate other countries, not to dictate unjustified norms to other countries. But, nobody should dare to dictate terms to mother Bharat. That's why we want to become the most powerful nation in the world," Radhakrishnan said.
He said the global scenario today is full of challenges.
Climate change, cyber security threats, equitable access to technology and ethical use of AI are some of the things that need to be concentrated on. "These challenges also offer incredible opportunities for innovation, entrepreneurship, and leadership," he said.
Speaking about the rapid change in technology and new innovation, the Vice President said, "We have to equip ourselves. The institutions and students should get ready to adapt to the dramatical changes that are coming in the field of technology."
"What is the impact we are creating in the industrial field, what is the impact we are creating in society is the greatest success of any institute," he said.
According to Radhakrishnan, in a world shaped by Artificial Intelligence, sustainability challenges and global uncertainty, the students are expected to be creative, ethical, courageous, stay strong, and confident.
"Luck may not favour us every time, but hard work will make luck favour us at least once, and it will be great," he said, as he asked students to never give up.
"You should fix the target and move towards the target all the time at your own convenient speed, never compare yourself with anyone. Everyone has their own plus and minuses. Hard work, sincerity and involvement in any work, may not bring you success on the same day, but it will bring bigger success some other day. Even God cannot deny you that success," he added.
Calling students, the wealth of this nation, the Vice President requested them to say "no to drugs", with a loud voice. He said drugs should not spoil the youngsters of this nation.
Also, advising students to be careful about using social media, he said, "Every invention has positive and negative impact. Based on how we use it, we grow. I'm not asking you not to use it, you can do anything, but you should have full control."
Speaking about remaining relevant in the global arena without losing our values, Radhakrishnan said, "Modern development and keeping our great traditions is not contradictory, it can complement each other. We should grow, and at the same time we should not lose our roots."
Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, among others, were present at the event.
