New Delhi:On December 10, Australia took a big step in the digital history of the world and implemented a complete ban on social media for children under 16 years of age. With this decision, Australia has become the first country in the world, which has completely closed 10 major platforms from Instagram to TikTok for minors for the safety of children.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the day as historic, saying the new law would give children “the freedom to live their childhood freely and give parents peace of mind.” He described it as a life-changing reform aimed at keeping children away from harmful content and algorithms.

What does the new law say?

Under the new rules, from December 10, social media companies will have to ensure that no Australian child under the age of 16 has an account on their platform. For violating the law, companies may have to pay a huge fine of up to Rs 300 crore. 10 big platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook have been included in the government’s first list. Besides, other social media companies have also been warned that if they are not prepared, they may soon have to face the next step.

Why was this decision taken?

This key policy from Prime Minister Albanese focuses on protecting children from the negative effects of potentially harmful online content, cyberbullying and algorithms. The government says that this ban is necessary for the mental and social safety of children. On the other hand, tech companies believe that this decision is wrong and there are better ways to make children’s digital activity safe. Many children and parents say that instead of banning, platforms should clean up their dirty content and children should be taught safe use of the internet.

Where in the world are such rules applicable?

The minimum age for opening a social media account in Norway is currently 13 years, but there are plans to increase it to 15 years. Denmark is also working on similar rules. Indonesia has also started thinking about taking strict measures, while Britain is exploring the option of setting time limits on children’s social media use. However, the British government has clarified that at present it is not planning to ban social media like Australia.