UK minister visits Australia for ‘lessons’ ahead of expected British social media crackdown
Summary
A UK online safety minister visited Australia to learn about the country's social media ban for children under 16. The UK government may introduce similar rules soon, aiming to limit young teens' access to social media and improve age verification methods.Key Facts
- The UK is considering a social media crackdown targeting children under 16, possibly by the end of 2024.
- Australia introduced an under-16s social media ban in December.
- Despite the ban, about two-thirds of under-16 teens in Australia remain on social media.
- Five major platforms (Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook) are under investigation for not fully following the Australian ban.
- Australia’s eSafety commissioner reported some poor practices like allowing many attempts to pass facial age checks.
- Since issuing fines threats, companies improved age checks and parental reporting features.
- The UK and Australia signed an agreement to share information on AI developments and cybersecurity risks.
- The UK believes it can learn practical lessons from Australia's experience to improve policy and enforcement.
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