In France, the Kick platform was involved in controversy for broadcasting live the death of French streamer Jean Pormanove, whose real name was Raphaël Graven, aged 46, in August
Online forum Reddit and live streaming platform Kick have been added to the list of social media platforms that will be banned for under-16s in Australia, Canberra announced today.
The law comes into force on December 10th in Australia. Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok will have to delete the accounts of children under 16 or face fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars (27.5 million euros).
The North American forum Reddit and the Australian platform Kick will also be affected by the new legislation, Communications Minister Anika Wells announced today.
“Online platforms use technology to reach children (…). We are simply asking them to use that same technology to ensure children’s safety online,” Wells told reporters.
In France, the Kick platform was involved in controversy for live broadcasting the death of French streamer Jean Pormanove, whose real name was Raphaël Graven, aged 46, in August.
During more than 12 days of live broadcasting, Pormanove was subjected to violence and humiliation by two other streamers.
“Australia represents a small part of our global audience, but Kick was created here and we will continue to support our local creators,” responded a spokesperson for the platform.
“We will continue to engage constructively within these new rules to ensure a fair outcome: protecting online security without compromising privacy or limiting the creative freedom that drives Australia’s creative economy,” he added.
The technology sector has criticized the law, classifying it as vague, problematic and hastily approved.
On October 13, a representative of US technology company Google said in Australia’s parliament that banning children under 16 from accessing social media would be “extremely difficult to enforce” and would not better protect children online.
The head of government affairs and policy at YouTube (a Google subsidiary) in Australia and New Zealand, Rachel Lord, noted that the measure could have “unintended consequences”.
On paper, Australian legislation, a world pioneer, is among the most stringent. But some fear it is merely symbolic.
In September, Australian authorities declared that social media platforms must avoid widespread age verification of all users.
For now, platforms like Roblox, Discord and WhatsApp will not be banned, but the streaming site Twitch is under review.
Anika Wells clarified that the list could still undergo changes.
In November 2024, Australia’s parliament approved a ban on accounts for under-16s on social media, giving digital platforms a year to complete the process.
