Australia stresses the social media platforms to pursue parental consent for minors

Australia mandates social networking companies to strive a parental approval for minor users less than the age of 16 years, otherwise, pay forfeits in millions, by a draft law published on Monday.

According to a press release, the ordinance has been designed which will safeguard Australians on Internet, assuring that the country's privacy rules are pertinent in the digital era.

The country has decided to crack down on online advertisers, targeting kids by making social media fora to yearn parental consent for users.

Social networking sites will be obliged to embrace sufficient measures to ascertain and confirm their users’ ages under an imperative ordinance, framed for the social networking platform, data brokers, and different huge online fora functioning in the country.

The report affirms that the directed enactment named the online privacy bill would likewise lend crucial consideration to the promising interests of kids while administering and regulating their private data. The law will instruct the forums to acquire parental authorization for users under the age of 16.

The new code will steer the public in retaining minors from social media firms, proclaimed, David Coleman, assistant Minister to the Prime Minister for mental health and suicide prevention Australia.

He further told that there was a constant rise in traces of distress and mental illness among the youth and kids ahead of the COVID-19 pandemic. There are multiple intricate grounds for this and social media is a prominent factor among those, he acknowledged.

These safety measures have been taken under the light of the statements made by Facebook's former product manager, Frances Haugen. Disclosing that the firm's practice of preferring earnings over actions, which is a threat to the user's safety, saying that the tech giant would anyway decide on its interests.

Mia Garlick, Facebook regional director of public policy confessed, their forum had been asking for Australia’s privacy ordinances to advance with modern technology.

Additionally, she asserted that they are assessing the draft bill and dialogue paper published on Monday, and are anticipating serving further with the Australian government.


Read next: Frances Haugen testifies with accusations and proofs against Facebook’s lack of security in front of the Committee in London
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