The Commonwealth Government has introduced a social media ban for under 16s via amendments to the Online Safety Act. The new law will require social media businesses and other platforms that fall under its definition of age-restricted social media platforms to ban anyone under the age of 16 from their service.

Failure to comply with the new law could result in hefty fines, with breaches attracting penalties of up to $50 million.

The new social media ban will impact many existing users and new customers. To avoid potential fines, social media platforms are likely to require age authentication from potentially hundreds of thousands of users between the ages of 16 and 20 (and maybe older) as part of a risk management exercise.

Platforms such as Facebook, X, Snap, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, Discord, Reddit, Twitch, Roblox and YouTube will all be affected by the new law. (YouTube can still be viewed but only if logged out.)

However. Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and Minecraft are not likely to affected according to an analysis by Mi-3 Australia.

X chief Elon Musk responded in his usual measured, conspiracy-free style, posting, "Seems like a backdoor way to control access to the Internet by all Australians."

The introduction of this law marks a significant shift in the approach to online safety in Australia, with the potential to significantly impact the social media landscape.

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