Get the latest tech news
TikTok, Meta Brace for Fallout From Australia’s Social Media Ban
Australia’s controversial new law barring under-16s from social media is one of the toughest crackdowns yet on platforms including Facebook and TikTok as governments worldwide grasp for ways to protect children from harmful content.
The law also threatens to upend the business model of some of the world’s most valuable companies as they face a global backlash against problems blamed on their services, such as increasing mental health issues, online scams, lower academic performance and grooming. “Instead of banning children, we should hold social media companies accountable for providing age-appropriate, secure, and supportive online environments,” Katie Maskiell, head of child rights policy and advocacy at Unicef Australia, said in a submission to the parliament. Even if Australia’s ban proves hard or impossible to enforce, more countries are likely to take similar steps as concerns grow about the impact of social media on children, said Simon Kemp, founder of Singapore-based digital consulting firm Kepios Pte., which specializes in analyzing online behaviors.
Or read this on r/technology
