Australia has passed a law banning the use of social media by people under 16

In a move prone to be watched around the world, Australia approved laws banning children under 16 from using social media. The bill was introduced just a week ago but has won the support of the fundamental conservative opposition party and the center-left government amid concerns that technology services negatively impact kid’s well-being.

The ban is predicted to take effect in (*16*) 2025, per Reuters. At this point, social media platforms in the market might want to give you the option to display that they take “reasonable steps” to make sure age verification and stop minors from accessing their services. Otherwise, they might face penalties of as much as roughly $32 million.

Australian lawmakers have ignored petitions from tech giants including Google and Meta to delay the ban until the age-checking process is complete. This is predicted to happen roughly in the middle of next 12 months. But in a single last-minute amendment focused on privacy, the Senate committee added a condition that social media platforms shouldn’t force users to supply personal information resembling a passport or other digital ID to prove their age.