Elon Musk, the owner of social media platform X, a businessman from the US, has condemned Australia’s proposed rules to forbid children under the age of 16 from accessing social media. He described it as” a secret way to restrict access to the internet by all Australians.”
The remarks were made in response to the bill’s statement on X late on Thursday, according to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Australia’s center-left state introduced the bill in congress, outlining plans for an age-verification method to maintain one of the strictest social media rules worldwide. Companies found breaking the proposed law systemically could face fines of up to A$ 49.5 million ($ 32 million ).
Without making any restrictions on parental acceptance or pre-existing transactions, the bill aims to halt children’s use of social media. The state argued that” this policy sends a powerful information about protecting the health and well-being of our children online.”
Numerous nations have implemented or proposed similar measures to obstruct minors ‘ access to social media. For instance, France last year suggested a restrictions on children under the age of 15 but allowed familial consent, while US law has longer mandated that tech firms obtain parental consent before accessing information from children under 13
Musk’s comments contribute to his story of confrontations with Australia’s Labor government over social media plans.
In April, X challenged an American computer firm’s order to remove content about a stabbing event, leading Albanese to attribute Musk an “arrogant tycoon”. Musk had likewise recently criticised the president’s propaganda laws, describing its approach as “fascist”.
