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Elon Musk has criticized Australia’s proposed law to ban social media access for children under 16.
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The law aims to enforce age verification and impose a blanket ban on users under 16, without exemptions for parental consent or existing accounts.
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Musk argues that the law is a “backdoor way to control access to the Internet by all Australians.”
Elon Musk, the owner of X (formerly Twitter), has spoken out against Australia’s proposed social media ban for children under 16. The bill, introduced in parliament, proposes fines of up to A$49.5 million (US$32 million) for social media companies that fail to comply with systemic safety requirements ¹.
Musk, known for his outspoken views on free speech, took to X to express his opposition to the bill. He argued that the law is a “backdoor way to control access to the Internet by all Australians.” Australia’s centre-left government has defended the bill as a necessary measure to protect children from harmful content and excessive online exposure ¹.
The proposed bill has reignited the debate over free speech versus child safety online. Critics argue that the law oversteps boundaries and risks over-regulating internet access for all Australians. Proponents, however, say stricter measures are needed to protect children in an increasingly digital age ² ³.
