Questão de Inglês — Preposições (Prepositions) — FUNDATEC 2025

Australia is banning social media for kids under 16. How will it work?

By Helen Livingstone

From 10 December, social media companies          Australia will have to take “reasonable steps” to ensure under-16s cannot create accounts and that existing ones are removed. The government says the ban, described as a world-first policy, aims to reduce the “pressures and risks” children face online, including design features that keep them          screens and harmful content that affects their health.

A government study found that 96% of children aged 10–15 used social media, and seven out of ten had been exposed to harmful or inappropriate material, ranging from misogynistic content to violent videos. One          seven also reported interactions with adults or older users that raised safety concerns, and more than half said they had been victims of cyberbullying.

Ten platforms were initially named: Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube, Reddit and streaming services Kick and Twitch. The government may expand the list and says it will consider whether a platform’s main purpose is social interaction, whether users can interact broadly, and whether users can post material. Some gaming platforms have already introduced age checks, fearing inclusion.

Children and parents will not be punished for violating the ban; responsibility falls on companies, which face fines of up to $49.5m for repeated breaches. Platforms must use age-assurance technologies, though the government has not specified which. Suggested options include government IDs, facial or voice recognition, and age inference using online behaviour.

Platforms may not rely on self-declared ages or parental confirmation.

Meta has announced it will begin removing teen accounts, allowing those mistakenly affected to verify their age with an ID or video selfie. Other companies have not yet detailed how they will comply. Critics question whether age-verification methods are accurate enough, noting that facial assessment tools can be least reliable for the age group they need to detect.

Debate continues          the ban’s effectiveness. Critics argue it may not reduce online harm since dating sites, gaming platforms and AI chatbots are not included. Others say the ban could isolate teens who rely on social media for support networks. Data-protection concerns have also been raised, as Australia has faced several major data breaches          recent years. The government says the law includes strict protections and requires verification data to be destroyed after use.

Social media companies reacted negatively to the policy, arguing it will be difficult to implement, easy to bypass and potentially harmful to user privacy. Some say it may push children toward less regulated areas of the internet. Even as Meta began early compliance, it warned that the ban could leave teens with inconsistent protections across the various apps they use. Despite objections, companies such as TikTok and Snap say they will follow the new rules.

(Available at: www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwyp9d3ddqyo – text specially adapted for this test).