Amnesty International Australia has made a submission to the inquiry into the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024.
In recent years Amnesty International has documented the harmful impacts of social media on human rights, particularly on the human rights of children and young people. However, social media also allows young people to connect, to learn, and to express themselves. A ban that isolates young people will not meet the government’s objective of improving young people’s lives.
If the Bill passes, social media companies may require all users in Australia to verify their age using biometrics or by uploading documents. This risks the abuse of people’s right to privacy.
Amnesty International calls on the inquiry to recommend:
- The Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024 not be passed,
- The government implements regulations for social media platforms to ensure safety of children online and protection of the right to privacy, and
- The government legislates a Human Rights Act, ensuring the protection of all human rights in Australia’s federal laws.
Human Rights Acts prevent human rights abuses by requiring public entities to consider human rights when making decisions, and they empower people with a tool with which everyone can fight for their human rights, and hold those in power to account. Learn more about what we do and our campaign for a federal Human Rights Act.
