[LINK] Social media minimum age legislation passed

[Marghanita da Cruz]

Let the Spamming begin. Today, I had a phonecall from a distressed past 
Instagram user.

I think she got caught by Physhing SPAM and was having difficulty 
getting into her Instagram Account.

Social media minimum age legislation passed:
> 4 December 2024
> New legislation has passed through Parliament, setting a minimum age 
> limit for social media platforms including Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook, 
> Instagram and X.
>
> The Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024 
> amends the /Online Safety Act 2021/ and requires ‘age-restricted 
> social media platforms’ to take reasonable steps to prevent 
> Australians under 16 years from having accounts on their platforms.
>
> Social media platforms operating in Australia have 12 months to 
> develop and roll out systems to enforce the age restrictions, which 
> are expected to be in place by the end of 2025.
https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/department/media/news/social-media-minimum-age-legislation-passed

No mention of SPAM on  E-Commissioner's website:
> Social media age restrictions
>
> The Australian Government is protecting young Australians at a 
> critical stage of their development, through world-first social media 
> age restrictions.
>
> Part 4A of the /Online Safety Act 2021/ introduces an obligation on 
> age-restricted social media platforms to prevent children under 16 
> years from having accounts on their services, by December 2025. This 
> obligation is one part of a broader strategy to create safer digital 
> spaces for everyone.
>
> The change aims to strengthen existing measures for protecting young 
> users, especially where there are particular risks associated with 
> accessing potentially harmful social media content and features such 
> as persistent notifications and alerts that have been found to have a 
> negative impact on sleep, stress levels and attention.
>
> The onus is on the applicable service providers to introduce systems 
> and processes that ensure people under the minimum age cannot create 
> or keep a social media account. This means there will be no penalties 
> for age-restricted users who gain access to an age-restricted social 
> media platform, or for their parents or carers.
>
> Details about how the age restrictions will operate, how and when they 
> will be enforced, which services will be affected and other relevant 
> information will be developed throughout 2025 and provided on this 
> website. The information will help Australians – including children 
> under-16, parents, carers, educators – and the online industry 
> understand and prepare for the change.
>
https://www.esafety.gov.au/about-us/industry-regulation/social-media-age-restrictions

-- 
Marghanita da Cruz
Telephone: 0414-869202
Email:  marghanita at ramin.com.au
Website: http://ramin.com.au