The Australian Senate debated a ban on social media for children under 16 on Thursday. These talks came after the House of Representatives passed the bill by a vote of 102 to 13 the previous day.
Once the law is passed, platforms will have one year to find ways to implement the ban before sanctions are applied.
But many advocates for child protection and mental health are concerned about the unintended consequences of depriving these children of the positive aspects of social media.
Opponents of the bill also argue that the ban would isolate children , push them towards the dark web, discourage children too young for social media from reporting harm, and reduce incentives for platforms to improve online safety.
The bill would make platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram liable to fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars (33 million US dollars ) for systemic failure to prevent young children from holding accounts.
The platforms complained that the law would be unenforceable and asked the Senate to postpone the vote until at least June of next year , when a government-commissioned assessment of age assurance technologies will have delivered its report on how young children could be excluded.
Criticisms include the fact that the legislation was hastily adopted by Parliament without thorough examination, that it is ineffective, that it poses risks to the privacy of all users, and that it undermines parental authority regarding decisions to be made for their children .
