The new legislation is said to be one of the strictest online privacy laws in the world
The Australian government has announced landmark social media legislation that is looking to require parental consent for minors to access certain apps.
Last week, Attorney-General Michaelia Cash released an exposure draft of the Privacy Legislation Amendment (Enhancing Online Privacy and Other Measures) Bill. The bill seeks to establish an Online Privacy code for social media services, data brokers and other large online platforms operating in Australia.
The new legislation is said to be one of the strictest online privacy laws in the world.
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and similar platforms will be required to comply with heightened privacy requirements, such as employing reasonable steps to verify their users’ age and giving primary consideration to the best interests of its users who are children. Those under the age of 16 will also need to obtain parental consent to obtain access to apps like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.
“There are going to be incredibly large fines for those social media companies that breached the online code,” Cash said on the Today Show.
Under the drafted bill, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner will have enforcement powers, including the imposition of harsher penalties, as the country’s privacy regulator. The government said that the new legislation will enhance online security measures and ensure online data protection, especially for young users.
The assistant minister to the prime minister for mental health and suicide prevention, David Coleman, said the new code “will lead the world in protecting children from social media companies.”
“In Australia, even before the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a consistent increase in signs of distress and mental ill-health among young people. While the reasons for this are varied and complex, we know that social media is part of the problem,” Coleman said in a media release. “The recent leak of Facebook’s own internal research demonstrates the impact social media platforms can have on body image and the mental health of young people. That’s why this legislation is so important. It will provide families with powerful protections, and require fundamental changes to the way that social media platforms operate in Australia.”
