Australia: What happens to social media accounts under 16?

Users under the age of 16 who have registered for a Meta account can save and download their online history, and when they are of legal age, your content will be restored exactly as it was originally.

According to France24, Meta has begun removing users under 16 in Australia from Instagram, Threads and Facebook as the country will become the first in the world to enforce a ban on social media for teenagers, starting December 10.

These sweeping new regulations would force major platforms to block users under 16 or face hefty fines.

Australia is requiring major online platforms, including TikTok and YouTube, to block users under 16 by December 10, when new laws come into effect.

Companies face fines of up to $32 million if they fail to take “reasonable steps” to comply.

“While we are working to remove all users we understand are under 16 by December 10, compliance with the law will be an ongoing and multi-layered process,” a Meta spokesperson said.

Users under 16 who have registered for an account can save and download their online history, a Meta spokesperson added. "Before you turn 16, we will notify you that you will soon be allowed to access these platforms again and your content will be restored exactly as it was."

Hundreds of thousands of teenagers are expected to be affected by the ban, with Instagram alone having around 350,000 Australian users aged 13 to 15.

Some popular apps and websites like Roblox, Pinterest, and WhatsApp are exempt, but that list is still under review.

"Strange"

Meta said it was committed to complying with Australian law, but called on app stores to take responsibility for age checks.

“ The government should require app stores to verify age and ask for parental consent whenever a young person under 16 downloads an app, avoiding the need for young people to verify their age multiple times on different apps,” the spokesperson said.

“Social media platforms can then use this verified age information to ensure teens have age-appropriate experiences.”

YouTube has also criticized the social media ban. The video streaming giant said this week that the new law would make Australian teenagers “less safe” because children under 16 can still access the site without an account but will lose YouTube’s safety filter.

However, Australia's Communications Minister has described the argument as "bizarre."

Facebook and Meta icons. (Photo: AFP/TTXVN)

Self-esteem

"If YouTube is reminding us all that its site is unsafe and has content that is not suitable for age-restricted users, then that is a problem that YouTube needs to fix," Communications Minister Anika Wells said this week.

Wells told reporters that some Australian teenagers had committed suicide when algorithms "stalked" them - targeting them with content that undermined their self-esteem.

“This particular law won’t fix every harm that happens on the internet, but it will make it easier for kids to pursue a better version of themselves,” she said.

Last week, an internet rights group filed a lawsuit to block the ban.

The Digital Freedom Project said it was challenging the laws in Australia's High Court, calling them an "unjust" attack on free speech.

Australia predicts rebellious teens will find ways to get around the law. The guidelines warn that they could try to upload fake IDs or use AI to make their photos look older.

Platforms are expected to come up with their own measures to prevent this from happening, but “no solution can be 100% effective,” the internet safety watchdog said.

The world is watching closely to see whether Australia's sweeping restrictions will work as regulators around the world grapple with the potential dangers of social media.

Malaysia says it plans to block children under 16 from registering social media accounts next year, while New Zealand will introduce a similar ban./.

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/australia-dieu-gi-se-xay-ra-voi-nhung-tai-khoan-mang-xa-hoi-duoi-16-tuoi-post1080969.vnp