{"id":31894,"date":"2024-11-08T17:26:04","date_gmt":"2024-11-08T11:56:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=31894"},"modified":"2024-11-08T17:26:37","modified_gmt":"2024-11-08T11:56:37","slug":"australia-to-ban-social-media-for-children","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/08-11-2024\/australia-to-ban-social-media-for-children","title":{"rendered":"Australia to Ban Social Media For Children"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS1\/ Social Issues<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>In News<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Australian government has announced plans to introduce <strong>legislation restricting social media access for children<\/strong> under 16, aiming to mitigate <strong>potential harms associated with online platforms.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Social Media<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Social media <\/strong>refers to<strong> online platforms<\/strong> where people create, share, and exchange information and ideas. <strong>Examples include <\/strong>Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Harmful effects of social media on children<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Mental Health Issues:<\/strong> Increases anxiety, depression, and risk of cyberbullying.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Sleep Disturbance: <\/strong>Poor sleep quality and screen addiction.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Academic Impact <\/strong>Reduces focus, leading to lower grades and procrastination.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Social Skills Decline:<\/strong> Less face-to-face interaction weakens social skills.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Body Image Issues:<\/strong> Causes body dissatisfaction and self-esteem problems.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Privacy Risks<\/strong>: Exposure to inappropriate content and data privacy threats.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Materialism:<\/strong> Influencer culture promotes unrealistic lifestyles and self doubts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Social Media Regulation in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In India, social media regulation is governed by the <strong>Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021<\/strong> and <strong>Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDPA) 2023.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>IT Rules 2021:\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Grievance Redressal Mechanism:<\/strong>A three-level grievance redressal system has been established, allowing users to report concerns. Each platform must respond to complaints within a specified time frame.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Disclosure of Origin: <\/strong>Social media platforms are required to reveal the first originator of a controversial or harmful message when requested by a court or authorized government agency. This rule helps track the spread of misinformation or harmful content.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Chief Compliance Officer:<\/strong> All social media intermediaries must appoint a Chief Compliance Officer (CCO), a resident of India, to ensure the platform\u2019s adherence to local laws and respond to legal requirements.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Voluntary Verification:<\/strong> Significant social media platforms must provide an option for users to voluntarily verify their accounts, promoting trustworthiness on the platform.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDPA) 2023:\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Section 9:<\/strong> Governs children\u2019s data under age 18 with three conditions:<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Parental Consent:<\/strong> Requires verifiable consent from parents\/guardians.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Well-being Focus:<\/strong> Data processing must prioritize child well-being.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>No Targeted Advertising:<\/strong> Restricts tracking and behavioral advertising targeting children.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Global Social Media Regulations for Children<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>China:<\/strong> Restricts daily internet use based on age, with limitations ranging from 40 minutes to two hours per day, and bans internet use for minors from 10 PM to 6 AM.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>European Union:<\/strong> Proposed a ban on internet access without parental consent for children under 16. Imposes strict data privacy controls, setting a benchmark for user data protection worldwide.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>South Korea:<\/strong> Enacted the Cinderella Law in 2011, which banned children under 16 from online gaming from midnight to 6 AM, aimed at reducing internet addiction. The law was abolished in 2021.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>France:<\/strong> Requires parental authorization for children under 15 to access social media.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Earnings of influencers under 16 are protected from parental access until the child reaches 16.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Issues with Banning Social Media for Children<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Enforcement Difficulties: <\/strong>Digital age restrictions are hard to enforce; children can find ways to bypass them.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Parental Burden: <\/strong>Age restrictions place an added burden on parents, especially where digital literacy is low, making it difficult for them to monitor children\u2019s activities effectively.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Freedom of Expression:<\/strong> Banning social media restricts children\u2019s rights to express themselves and access diverse information.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Benefits of Social Media:<\/strong> Provides community support, promotes learning, and keeps children informed about global issues and trends.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Way Ahead<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Enhanced Age Verification Technologies:<\/strong> Implement advanced, reliable age-verification tools that can accurately restrict children\u2019s access based on regulatory requirements.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Parental Involvement and Digital Literacy Programs:<\/strong> Introduce widespread digital literacy programs for parents and guardians, especially in regions with low digital awareness.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Stricter Data Privacy and Content Moderation Policies: <\/strong>Reinforce data privacy for minors by updating policies to ensure their personal information remains protected.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Integrated Digital Literacy in School Curricula: <\/strong>Schools can play a crucial role by integrating digital literacy into the curriculum, helping children understand the ethical and safe use of social media.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Emphasis on Mental Health Support: <\/strong>Develop support systems within schools and communities to address the mental health impacts of social media use on children.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.livemint.com\/news\/world\/australia-to-ban-social-media-for-children-under-16-says-pm-albanese-this-one-is-for-the-mums-and-dads-11730936944358.html#:~:text=Australia%20plans%20to%20ban%20social,to%20be%20ratified%20this%20year.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">LM<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Australian government has announced plans to introduce legislation restricting social media access for children under 16, aiming to mitigate potential harms associated with online platforms.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31894","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31894","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31894"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31894\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31908,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31894\/revisions\/31908"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31894"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31894"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31894"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}