Beijing accuses four nations with “Cold War mentality”
China has rejected accusations made by the defense chiefs of the US, Japan, Australia and the Philippines, who last week raised concerns over Beijing’s actions in the East and South China Seas.
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Big Tech corporations on Friday hit out at a landmark Australian law that bans youths under the age of 16 from accessing social media, saying the law was "rushed" through parliament.
Australia approved the social media ban for children late on Thursday. The law forces tech giants from Instagram and Facebook owner Meta to TikTok to stop minors logging in or face fines of up to A$49.5 million ($32 million).
TikTok, the hugely popular platform where teen users upload and share videos, said in a statement to Reuters on Friday that it was likely the ban could see young people pushed to darker corners of the internet.
"Moving forward, it's critical that the Australian government works closely with industry to fix issues created by this rushed process. We want to work together to keep teens safe and reduce the unintended consequences of this law for all Australians," it said.
The government had warned Big Tech of its plans for months, and first announced the ban after a parliamentary inquiry earlier this year that heard testimony from parents of children who had self-harmed due to cyber bullying.
Albanese's Labor party, which does not control the Senate, won crucial support from the opposition conservatives for the bill, allowing it to progress quickly.
The bill was introduced into parliament last Thursday and sent to a select committee on Friday where interested parties had 24 hours to make a submission. The legislation was passed on Thursday as part of 31 bills that were pushed through in a chaotic final day of parliament for the year.
Meta criticised the law saying it was a "predetermined process".
"Last week, the parliament’s own committee said the ‘causal link with social media appears unclear,’ with respect to the mental health of young Australians, whereas this week the rushed Senate Committee report pronounced that social media caused harm," it said in a statement in the early hours of Friday.
Snapchat parent Snap said it leaves many questions unanswered.
Australia has been at loggerheads with the mostly U.S.-domiciled tech giants for years. It was the first country to make social media platforms pay media outlets royalties for sharing their content and earlier this year said it plans to threaten them with fines for failing to stamp out scams.
Sunita Bose, managing director of Digital Industry Group, which has most social media companies as members, said no one can confidently explain how the law will work in practice.
"The community and platforms are in the dark about what exactly is required of them," she said.
A trial of methods to enforce it will start in January with the ban to take effect by Nov. 2025.
On May 28, the inauguration ceremony of Lachin International Airport was held.
Taxi drivers across France are protesting government plans to cut payments for driving patients to medical appointments. These cuts are part of a broader effort by Prime Minister François Bayrou to save €40 billion in the 2026 budget and reduce the country’s large deficit.
Brazil’s economy is expected to have regained momentum in the first quarter of 2025, driven by a surge in household spending and private investment, according to a Reuters poll of economists conducted from May 21–26.
As peace talks progress, voices from Yerevan, Tbilisi, and Baku reveal hopes, concerns, and expectations for a future shaped by trade, trust, and generational change in the South Caucasus.
In a major blow to one of President Donald Trump’s key economic policies, a US federal court has blocked the administration’s sweeping global tariff regime, ruling that the White House overstepped its constitutional authority.
The White House congratulated South Korea on a fair election but voiced concern over potential Chinese influence as liberal candidate Lee Jae-myung assumes the presidency.
South Korea’s new President Lee Jae-myung vowed to rescue the nation from political chaos and economic turmoil, promising market reforms and renewed diplomacy after a historic electoral win.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced a shakeup of Ukraine's military on Tuesday, including the appointment to a new post of a commander who tendered his resignation over a deadly Russian attack.
China and Belarus reaffirmed their strategic partnership as Xi Jinping welcomed Belarusian President Lukashenko to Beijing for a high-level meeting.
Elon Musk has launched a scathing attack on President Donald Trump’s flagship tax and spending legislation, criticizing it as a “disgusting abomination” and warning it could harm Tesla’s business.
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