The Albanese Government has again demonstrated its weakness in protecting children from online harm – with the announcement they are planning to allow exemptions to the social media age verification laws.
At Friday’s Social Media Summit in Adelaide, the Communications Minister said she was considering “an exemption framework” for social media services – and “will set parameters to guide platforms in designing social media that allows connections.”
This is another demonstration from the Albanese Government of its weakness on age verification and age limits for social media use by vulnerable young Australians.
This follows their failure to support a trial for age assurance technologies that was recommended by the eSafety Commissioner – until the Government suddenly changed its mind in May this year.
In November last year, the Albanese Government voted against a Coalition Bill for a trial of age verification that would support age limits on social media.
In June this year, Peter Dutton announced that a Coalition Government would raise the age of social media access to 16. Mr Dutton said it would be at the top of his priority list for his first 100 days in office.
It hasn’t taken long for Labor to start walking away from their talk of action on social media protections, with the Minister now talking about exemptions for the social media giants.
“The idea that social media products like Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat could be made ‘safe’ for younger children is absurd,” Mr Coleman said.
“We need a clear age limit of 16 for social media access - which the Coalition committed to back in June.
“The Government still doesn't have a position on what age limit should be applied, and is now saying that big social media companies could be exempted from the law entirely.
“Social media age limit rules must not be watered down. This issue requires firm leadership, not weakness and indecision.”