United News of Bangladesh

Australia is preparing to tighten its laws banning children under the age of 16 from using social media, as the government admits many young users continue to access major platforms despite the restrictions. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government is reviewing whether the existing law, which took effect on Dec. 10 last year, needs to be strengthened and whether regulators have sufficient authority to enforce it effectively. "We're working on that as a priority because this is something that other generations didn't have to deal with, which is why it's complex," Albanese told Parliament on Thursday. Speaking to the Australian Broadcasting Corp. on Friday, he said the government was examining whether the legislation was "as strong as possible" and whether eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant had all the powers needed to enforce the rules. Australia became the first country to introduce a nationwide ban preventing children under 16 from holding accounts on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Since then, several other countries have introduced or proposed similar restrictions. Britain last week announced plans to stop children under 16 from accessing several social media platforms to reduce exposure to harmful content and excessive screen time. Canada, Brazil and Indonesia have also introduced age-based rules or proposed legislation for children's social media access, while France, Spain, Denmark, Thailand and South Korea are considering similar measures. In April, eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said she was considering legal action against Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube, claiming the companies had not done enough to prevent underage Australians from using their platforms. Those platforms, along with X, Kick, Reddit, Threads and Twitch, face fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars (US$34 million) if they fail to take reasonable steps to remove accounts belonging to children under 16. Experts say recent data suggests the current restrictions are not working as intended. Lisa Given, an information sciences expert at Melbourne's RMIT University, said the government's latest move appeared to be driven by growing evidence that many children continue to use restricted platforms. Data released by the eSafety Commissioner in March showed that seven out of 10 underage children still had accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok after the ban came into effect. She also cited a study published this week in the *British Medical Journal*, which found that 85% of surveyed Australian children aged 12 to 17 were still using restricted social media platforms. "I do think it's failing," Given said, adding that many young people themselves had described the policy as ineffective. According to ‘The Sydney Morning Herald’, Inman Grant said earlier this month that her office lacked sufficient authority to enforce the law effectively. "What I would say is a regulator is only as good as the tools and the resources that they're given," she was quoted as saying. The Associated Press sought comment from her office on Friday, but did not immediately receive a response. Given said stronger enforcement powers or alternative regulatory measures may be needed, adding that courts would likely have to determine what qualifies as the "reasonable steps" platforms are legally required to take. Albanese also said the government plans to move ahead with digital duty of care legislation, which would make online platforms more accountable for harm caused by their content and algorithms.

Malaysia on Monday started enforcing new rules that prohibit children under the age of 16 from having social media accounts, joining a growing number of countries seeking to improve online safety for young users. Under the new regulations, social media companies must introduce age-verification systems and prevent users younger than 16 from creating accounts. The rules apply to platforms with at least 8 million users, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. Companies that fail to follow the regulations could face fines of up to 10 million ringgit (about $2.5 million). However, parents will not be punished if their children manage to bypass the restrictions. The Malaysian government said the measures are designed to protect children from harmful online content, cyberbullying and platform features that encourage excessive screen time and addictive use. Malaysia joins countries such as Australia, Brazil and Indonesia, which have already introduced or announced restrictions on children's access to social media. Several other nations, including Britain, France, Spain, Denmark, Thailand and South Korea, are also considering similar measures. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission said the rules are not intended to block children from using the internet or digital technology. Instead, they aim to ensure that service providers take greater responsibility for online safety and put age-appropriate protections in place. “These measures help strengthen the protection of children in the online environment, while providing added reassurance to parents in navigating increasingly complex digital risks,” the regulator said in a statement issued last month. Social media platforms will also be required to introduce safety features that discourage compulsive use and take stronger action against underage accounts and harmful content. Technology companies have not yet explained how they will fully comply with the new requirements. The regulator said platforms will be given a grace period to complete the rollout of age-verification systems. In April, Clara Koh, Meta’s director of public policy for Southeast Asia, warned that a blanket ban on users under 16 could have unintended consequences by pushing teenagers toward less-regulated parts of the internet. She noted that Meta has already introduced “teen accounts” for users under 18, with restrictions on contact, screen time and exposure to inappropriate content. Malaysia’s move comes as governments worldwide face increasing pressure to address concerns about the impact of social media on children's mental health and online safety. In March, a US jury ordered Meta and YouTube to pay millions of dollars in damages in a case that alleged certain platform design features contributed to harm suffered by a young user. While many parents have welcomed the new rules, privacy advocates have raised concerns about the age-verification process. Benjamin Loh, a social science lecturer at Monash University Malaysia, said the requirement for government-issued identification to verify age has sparked concerns over personal data protection. He also questioned the effectiveness of age-based restrictions, noting that experiences in other countries have shown mixed results. Since parents face no penalties, he said, families could easily bypass the rules by creating accounts on behalf of their children. “Unless regulators address this loophole, the law may have limited success in preventing children from using social media,” Loh said.

Indonesia will ban social media for children under 16, Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid said Friday. Hafid in a statement to media said that she just signed a government regulation that will mean children under the age of 16 can no longer have accounts on high-risk digital platforms, including YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live and Roblox. The implementation will start gradually on March 28. “The basis is clear. Our children face increasingly real threats. From exposure to pornography, cyberbullying, online fraud, and most importantly addiction. The government is here so that parents no longer have to fight alone against the giant of algorithms.” Hafid said.