GUWAHATI, Nov 29: Australia became the first country in the world to ban children under 16 from social media in one of the toughest crackdowns on popular sites like Facebook, Instagram and X.
Social media firms face fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars if they fail to comply with the new law.
The legislation was passed by the Australian Parliament’s lower chamber on Wednesday and by the Senate late Thursday evening.
Tech giants like Google and Meta had called for a delay in passage of the bill and described the laws as “vague”, “problematic” and “rushed”.
Some social media firms such as WhatsApp and YouTube will likely be granted exemptions since teenagers may need to use them for school work and study-related purposes.
The new laws has sparked a bitter debate between people and groups advocating for the ban and those opposing it.
