Australia: Introduced Social Media Minimum Age Bill 2024

On 21 November 2024, the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024 was introduced to the Australian Parliament. The Bill aims to reduce the risk of harm to children from certain kinds of social media platforms by proposing a minimum age of 16 for social media users. In particular, the Bill requires platforms to implement age-verification mechanisms to restrict access by individuals under the age of 16. The Bill includes provisions for penalties in cases of non-compliance and grants the eSafety Commissioner authority to oversee implementation, monitor compliance, and enforce penalties.