The law would make Australia one of the first countries to impose an age restriction on social media. Opponents say it could drive online activity underground.

The law would make Australia one of the first countries in the world to impose an age restriction on social media, but opponents say it could drive online activity underground.

Australia plans to set a minimum age limit for children to use social media citing concerns about mental and physical health, drawing a backlash from digital rights advocates who warn the measure could drive dangerous online activity underground.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his center-left government would run an age verification trial before introducing age minimum laws for social media this year.

Albanese did not specify an age but said it would most likely be between 14 and 16.

  • Deceptichum@quokk.auEnglish
    351·
    2 months ago

    Welp if the Fediverse is social media, I’m going to have to find a new instance and get a VPN. Not ‘authenticating’ myself to any agency thanks.

    “I want to see kids off their devices and onto the footy fields and the swimming pools and the tennis courts,” Albanese told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.

    The library, any other hobby that’s not sports? Don’t wanna promote anything mentally stimulating there do ya buddy? As long as we’ve got the footy and a fourty year mortgage, you’re right as rain. Fucking flog.

    • Carrolade@lemmy.worldEnglish
      13·
      2 months ago

      Since they’re doing this via some sort of authentication system, fediverse should be fairly safe for now, I’d think. They might be able to pressure certain larger instances if they felt like it, but there’s no way to actually enforce something like this (to my knowledge anyway) over the whole fediverse.

      • Deceptichum@quokk.auEnglish
        31·
        2 months ago

        Until they go after my instance owner for not enacting their draconian shit.