“We’ve said very clearly that this won’t be perfect… but it’s the right thing to do for society to express its views, its judgment, about what is appropriate,” Albanese told the public broadcaster ABC on Sunday.
Under the law, platforms need to show they’ve taken “reasonable steps” to deactivate accounts used by under-16s, and to prevent new accounts being opened, to avoid fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars ($32 million).
What the platforms are doing
Snapchat users will have their accounts suspended for three years or until they turn 16.
YouTube account holders will be automatically signed out on December 10. Their channels will no longer be visible; however, their data will be saved so they can reactivate their accounts when they turn 16. Children will still be able to watch YouTube without logging in.
TikTok says all accounts used by under-16s will be deactivated on December 10. It says it doesn’t matter which email is used or whose name is on the account – its age verification technology will determine who’s using it. Content previously posted by young users will no longer be viewable. The platform’s also encouraging parents who believe their children may have lied about their age when opening accounts to report them.
Twitch says no under-16s in Australia will be allowed to create new accounts on the live streaming site popular with gamers from December 10, but current accounts held by under-16s will not be deactivated until January 9. The company did not respond to a request to explain the delay.
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