Australia has instructed 10 major social media platforms, including TikTok, Alphabet’s YouTube and Meta’s Instagram and Facebook, to block around one million users under the age of 16 or face massive fines. Some 200,000 accounts have already been deactivated on TikTok alone, the Anthony Albanese-led government said, with “hundreds of thousands” to be blocked in the coming days.
Ten of the biggest platforms will have to block children from December 10 or face fines of up to AUSD 49.5 million (USD 33 million) under the new law. While the movie has drawn criticism from tech biggies and free speech advocates, it has been welcomed by parents and child advocates.
Meanwhile, Australian teenagers have taken to social media for the last time to farewell their followers, while mourning the loss of the platforms that shaped much of their lives before the ban, the world’s first such one, took effect on December 10. In the hours leading up to the ban’s midnight start, a flurry of goodbye messages came from teenagers, as well as adults, on platforms including TikTok, Instagram and Reddit.
“I’ll miss you guys,” posted Melbourne creator Josh Partington, known for making comedy sketches about Australian life for more than 75,000 TikTok followers.
Young Australians, who have grown up using social media, faced the prospect of losing access to their favourite apps with sadness, humour and disbelief.
“I’m going to miss you so much, and especially the funny content. See you in a few years, but I don’t know if my account will still be standing,” one TikTok user wrote to their followers.
“Goodbye, see you on the other side,” another user said.
On Reddit, users posted their goodbye notes to subreddits such as r/teenagers.
“As an autistic 13-year-old, I am devastated. My playlist of 1,400+ songs on YouTube will be deleted and Reddit too, I have zero friends … I will be completely alone for the next three years until I am 16,” one popular post said.
PM Albanese is facing backlash as well, as he lost 6,000 followers across TikTok and Instagram since December 9. While one person commented, “Just wait until we’re able to vote” on Albanese’s TikTok account, not all teenagers were against the ban.
“Ngl (not going to lie), social media ban is probably for the best of us. All we do is sit behind a screen for hours,” a TikTok user said.