Meta, TikTok argue YouTube should be included in Australia’s under-16 social media ban

[Pelican Press 0]

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Meta, TikTok argue

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should be included in Australia’s under-16 social media ban

Late last year, Australia passed a law banning social media for all people under 16 years old. Now, some of those companies — namely Meta, TikTok and Snap — are not happy at one exception:

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. Australia has deemed

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as a critical education tool and is allowing use, despite an original assumption that the

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-owned platform would be included,

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and

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.

This follows last month’s

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from Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, which found that

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is the most popular platform with 13 to 15-year-olds — with just under three-fourths of that age range using it in 2024. Notably, anyone under 16 needs to be part of a family account that offers parental supervision rights to use

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.

Remarks from big tech were pointed. “It is illogical to restrict two platforms while exempting the third. It would be akin to banning the ***** of soft drinks to minors but exempting Coca-Cola,” said TikTok’s director of public policy in Australia and New Zealand, Ella Woods-Joyce. Meanwhile, Meta called out the *********** government for failed transparency and making “a mockery of the government’s stated intention, when passing the age ban law, to protect young people.”

Snap reiterated its fellow platforms’ concerns, stating, “There must be a fair and impartial application of exclusions and all services should be held to the same standard.” At the same time, Snap is arguing that it’s a messaging service and thus shouldn’t be part of the ban.

Australia’s ban on social media for under 16-year-olds should go into effect towards the end of this year. Time will tell whether big tech’s outrage will change its impact on

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#Meta #TikTok #argue #

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#included #Australias #under16 #social #media #ban

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