Google and Facebook-owner Meta Platforms have urged the Australian government to delay the passage of a proposed bill that would ban most forms of social media access for children under 16, citing the need for further assessment of its potential impact.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s government plans to pass the legislation, considered among the world’s strictest on children’s social media use, by the end of the parliamentary year on Thursday.
The bill was introduced last week with just one day for public submissions. Google and Meta have called for the government to await the outcome of an age-verification trial before proceeding. The verification system may include biometrics or government-issued identification to enforce the age restriction.
“Without the results of this trial, neither industry nor Australians will fully understand the scale or nature of age verification required, or its impact,” Meta stated, calling the bill “inconsistent and ineffective” in its current form.
The proposed law would require social media platforms, not parents or children, to implement age-verification measures. Companies that fail to comply with these requirements could face fines of up to A$49.5 million ($32 million) for systemic breaches.
The opposition Liberal party is expected to back the legislation, though independent lawmakers have criticized the government for rushing the bill through parliament in roughly one week. A Senate committee on communications legislation is expected to deliver its report on the matter by Tuesday.
Bytedance’s TikTok expressed concerns over the bill’s lack of clarity and insufficient consultation with experts, platforms, mental health organizations, and youth. “Legislation should be drafted in a thorough manner to achieve its stated purpose, but this bill does not meet those standards,” TikTok stated.
Elon Musk’s X also raised concerns, arguing that the bill would infringe on children’s and young people’s rights to freedom of expression and access to information. Musk, a self-proclaimed advocate of free speech, criticized the bill last week, accusing the Australian government of using it as a backdoor to regulate internet access.
