Meta flags concerns over Labor’s rushed social media laws
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The news: Meta has called on Labor to extend its plans to restrict the use of social media by children to all platforms, including YouTube, amid concerns the government is rushing the reforms without adequate consultation.
The context: Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, joins a growing pool of experts and advocates to speak out against the government's plans.
Meta said it remains committed to keeping children safe online and pointed to the introduction of its recently announced Instagram Teen Accounts. The company also called for the government to extend whatever restrictions it introduces to cover “all apps” used by young people “including YouTube and gaming”.
The Albanese government revealed its plans this week to introduce a bill that would set minimum age requirements for social media preventing children under the age of 16 to use platforms such as Instagram and TikTok.
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said in a statement late Wednesday that the legislation “places the onus” on social media platforms.
The bill would introduce fines of up to $50 million for those companies that fail to comply and require regulated firms to take reasonable steps to prevent underage users from using their services.
It would also allow the minister to exclude specific classes of services from the definition including messaging services, online games, and services that support the health and education of users, such as Google-owned YouTube.
What they said: “We are concerned the government is rushing this legislation without adequate consultation or evidence and there are still many unknowns with respect to its implementation. The legislation as drafted seems out of step with available research and expert opinions, including those from within the government, academia, industry, mental health organisations, and Australian parents and young people,” a Meta spokesperson said in a statement.
“Furthermore, the Government’s approach will likely require each app provider to collect personal identification or biometric data from all Australians in order to prevent under 16s from accessing their services, an inefficient and burdensome process for everyone.
“Parents need clear, efficient ways to oversee the many apps their children use, and that's why we've proposed legislation that requires parental approval and age verification at the operating system and app store level, which reduces the burden and minimises the amount of sensitive information shared.”
The source: Meta statement
