Australia is now the world’s first country to ban children under 16 from major social media platforms. As of Wednesday (Dec. 10), these platforms include TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Reddit and Snapchat.
For more stories at your doorstep, subscribe to The Baptist Paper.
SIGN UP for our weekly Highlights emails.
What next? Companies could face fines exceeding $30 million for failing to block underage users, according to multiple news sources. The new law reportedly aims to curb rising mental health issues related to kids, noted Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Could this happen in the U.S.?
Meanwhile in the U.S., this latest development comes as senators held a hearing on online child exploitation. The hearing included a mother whose son died by suicide. Lawmakers contend tougher penalties are needed for predators. Stay tuned for more developments.
Related headlines:
Australia kids social media ban -The World and Everything in It podcast
Australia is first nation to ban social media for kids. Is the US next? -USAToday
From Australia to Europe, countries move to curb children’s social media access -Reuters
Australia is banning young teens from social media. Could it happen in the US? -CNN
Australia to enforce social media age limit of 16 next week with fines up to $33 million -Associated Press
Australia to begin enforcing social media law banning children under 16 from major platforms -Fox News
The links above are a sampling of headlines related to the story and are not an endorsement of all viewpoints or reporting.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was compiled from media reports by The Baptist Paper.
