Meta Platforms(US:META) Yang Guang Wang·2025-12-04 09:54Core Viewpoint - Australia is set to implement a social media ban for users under 16 years old starting December 10, with non-compliant companies facing fines up to 50 million AUD (approximately 232 million RMB) [1] Group 1: Legislative Background - The ban is described as the world's first of its kind aimed at protecting children from harmful content on social media [1] - The legislation was passed by the Australian Federal Parliament in November of the previous year [1] - Mia Bannister, a single mother who lost her son to suicide, was a key advocate for this legislation, citing social media bullying as a contributing factor to her son's condition [2] Group 2: Implementation and Compliance - The law allows a one-year period for platforms to develop measures to enforce the age restriction [3] - Parents of underage users will not face penalties; the responsibility lies with social media companies to prevent access by users under 16 [3] - Companies must implement "reasonable measures" for age verification, which may include biometric data and online behavior analysis, rather than relying solely on government-issued IDs [3] Group 3: Challenges and Concerns - Experts highlight challenges in accurately verifying ages, particularly for users aged 15 to 17, which may lead to misclassification and service disruptions [4][5] - Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has already begun to enforce the ban by halting new account registrations for users under 16 and revoking access for existing accounts [4]