Now Reading: Australia defends under-16 social media ban despite low compliance
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Australia defends under-16 social media ban despite low compliance
Australia defends under-16 social media ban despite low compliance
Australia defended its world-first social media ban for children under 16 after regulator eSafety found that more than eight in 10 teenagers were still using social media three months after the restrictions…
The Story in Brief
Australia defended its world-first social media ban for children under 16 after regulator eSafety found that more than eight in 10 teenagers were still using social media three months after the restrictions began. The March study found children aged 10 to 15 were using platforms as often as before the December 10 ban, while parents had less awareness of their online activity. Assistant Minister Andrew Leigh said millions of accounts had been shut and argued that laws need not achieve full compliance to matter. The government plans tougher enforcement, including doubling the maximum penalty for technology companies that breach the rules, The Hindu reports.
The Indian Opinion
Claims that Australia’s ban has either solved the problem or failed outright both run ahead of the evidence. The data shows weak day-to-day compliance, but the government says account closures have changed parental discussions. That is a modest result, not proof of success. The fair test is whether future eSafety figures show fewer under-16 users and better parental awareness after tougher penalties take effect.
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
