Elon Musk, billionaire owner of social media platform X, has criticised Australia’s proposed law to ban social media for children under 16. The legislation, introduced by Australia’s centre-left government on Thursday, includes fines of up to A$49.5 million ($32 million) for social media companies that fail to comply.
The law aims to implement a strict age-verification system, making it one of the toughest social media controls globally. Musk, who frequently positions himself as a defender of free speech, described the proposal as a potential threat to broader internet access. “Seems like a backdoor way to control access to the Internet by all Australians,” he responded to a post by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on X.
Australia’s law goes further than similar measures in other countries by not allowing parental consent or exemptions for existing accounts. France proposed a social media ban for those under 15 last year, but it permitted access with parental approval. In the United States, technology companies must obtain parental consent to access data of children under 13, a policy in place for decades.
This isn’t Musk’s first clash with Australia’s government over social media policies. He previously labelled the government “fascists” over its misinformation laws. In April, X challenged an Australian cyber regulator’s order to remove posts related to a Sydney stabbing, leading Albanese to call Musk an “arrogant billionaire”.
If passed, this legislation could make Australia a leader in stringent social media regulations, but also stoke further debates on privacy and free speech.
