Snapchat will be included in sweeping social media reforms to restrict teenage use, following fears the picture messaging app would escape exemption from the reforms due a loophole.
New legislation set to be announced by the Albanese government on Thursday will ensure the popular platform will be forced follow its age limit reforms.
It comes after communications minister Michelle Rowland previously expressed concerns that Snapchat may be exempt from the age-limit reforms by defining itself as a ‘messaging service’ more akin to text messaging type platforms, than ‘social media’ platforms like Instagram.
‘Snapchat, under the Online Safety Act, depending on how it’s defined, could fall within (a messaging service) definition … We are very prepared to go through having a process of criteria and seeing how this fits against it,’ she told 2GB last week.
The minister will announce the government’s new reforms during Thursday’s parliamentary sitting.
‘The Albanese Government is introducing world-leading legislation to establish 16 as the minimum age for access to social media,’ Ms Rowland told news.com.au.
‘This legislation places the onus [of safety and mental health of young Australians] on social media platforms, not parents or children, to ensure protections are in place.
‘Ultimately, this is about supporting a safer and healthier online environment for young Australians.’
Social media platform Snapchat will be forced follow the government age limit reforms
PM Anthony Albanese announced the proposed social media ban in September, aiming to get ‘get our kids off their devices and onto the footy fields’
The move will ne welcomed by Queensland Catholic Secondary Principals Association director Dan McMahon was ‘gobsmaked’ at the thought that Snapchat would find a loophole.
‘Of all the social media platforms that I deal with … Snapchat is one of the most common ones,’ he told A Current Affair last week.
‘Not everyone on Snapchat is an online bully, but in my experience every online bully uses Snapchat.
‘It’s just such a great tool to weaponise harm.’
However, many still fear many Aussie teens will find ways to skirt the new regulations.
The reforms are set to legislate costly penalties, up to $50million, for company breaches of the new laws and violations of industry codes and standards.
It will also force regulated entities to make reasonable efforts to stop those under the age of 16 from creating accounts.
Michell Rowland said the legislation would make for a ‘safer and healthier’ online environment for youth
The communications minister will also be able to exclude certain services from the definition, including messaging platforms, online games, and services that are designed to support the health and education of users.
It will also include strict privacy provisions, which include making platforms find and destroy information previously collected.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese first announced the age limit reforms in September.
His aim is to ‘get our kids off their devices and on to the footy fields or the netball courts to get them interacting with real people having real experiences’.
‘And we know that social media is doing social harm,’ Mr Albanese said at the time.
‘We want to make sure we get it right, but we want to make sure as well that we act, which is why we have said we will introduce legislation before the end of this year.’
Mr Albanese said ‘enough’ was ‘enough’ and that his government would act to prevent the harms caused by social media corporations and platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat.
‘We know that technology moves fast. No Government is going to be able to protect every child from every threat, but we have to do all that we can.
‘Parents are worried sick about this. We know they’re working without a map. No generation has faced this challenge before.’
