JAKARTA - Big tech companies, including Meta and TikTok, have denounced Australia's new law prohibiting social media access for teens under 16 years of age. They assess this policy is "in a hurry" and could have an unwanted impact on young users.
The law, which was passed on Thursday evening, November 28, requires platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok to prevent teens under 16 from entering their accounts. If they fail, the company will be fined up to AUD 49.5 million (around Rp 500 billion).
TikTok, which is very popular with teens, warns that this ban could push children into "an internet dark angle."
"We want to work closely with the Australian government to keep teens safe and reduce the unexpected consequences of this law," a TikTok spokesperson said in a statement.
Meta, owner of Facebook and Instagram, said the process of ratifying this law had been predetermined and lacked scientific evidence.
Last week, the parliamentary committee itself stated that the causal relationship between social media and mental health was unclear, but a Senate committee report this week said social media caused harm, Meta's criticism.
Snap Inc., Snapchat's parent company, also stated that many aspects of this law remain unclear.
This prohibition was triggered by testimonies from parents whose children experienced cyberbullying to commit self-harm. The government is accelerating the ratification process with conservative opposition support.
The bill was introduced last week, with only 24 hours for interested parties to provide a response before it was passed as part of 31 other bills on the final day of this year's parliamentary session.
Sunita Bose, director of the Digital Industry Group representing various social media platforms, said there was no clarity on how the law would be implemented.
"People and platforms still don't know what they really asked for," he said.
The trial of the age verification method will begin in January 2025, while the full ban will take effect in November 2025
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