Children under 14 would be banned from social media platforms under proposed laws.The South Australian government has drafted a bill to ban children 13 and under from using social media, by putting the responsibility back on corporations.
The report outlines how the draft legislation is "available for other state governments to pursue" if they choose to and could be rolled out across the nation. "We're going to ban the social media services from providing access in that first place and where they do it and do it knowingly, they are subject to severe punishment, heavy financial penalties that will act as a major deterrent to ensure this doesn't occur in the future."ABC News: Ashlin BlieschkeMr Malinauskas said the proposed regulation put "a positive obligation and duty" on social media companies to ensure children under 14 cannot access such platforms.
If companies breach the rules, Mr Malinauskas said parents, or a regulator on behalf of a child, could seek compensation or financial penalties. Under the proposed law, 14 and 15-year-olds would need parental consent to access social media accounts.The review's author, Mr French, said some of the major social media companies were already looking at banning children under 13, in response to digital privacy legislation in the United States.