Reddit, a well-known forum, has been included in Australia’s world-first social media ban for minors, which will take effect next month. The ban would target nine websites, including the live-streaming platform Kick. Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok, and Threads are among them.
Tech companies who fail to take “reasonable steps” to deactivate current accounts for under-16s and forbid new ones risk fines of up to A$50 million ($32.5 million; £25.7 million) starting on December 10.
The government stated that each prohibited platform was selected because its “sole or a significant purpose is to enable online social interaction,” and that more websites might be added due to the “fast-changing” nature of technology.
According to Australia’s eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, “delaying children’s access to social media accounts gives them valuable time to learn and grow, free from the powerful, unseen forces of harmful and deceptive design features like opaque algorithms and endless scroll.
Services for messaging Google Classroom, YouTube Kids, and the game sites Lego Play and Roblox will not be featured, nor will Discord and WhatsApp. Online platforms can use “chilling control” to target minors, according to Federal Communications Minister Anika Wells, and the prohibition was intended to protect children.
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