A hurried Senate inquiry looking into the impending social media ban for Australians under the age of 16 has received a flood of submissions, including from Meta, Google and X.
More than 15,000 submissions were sent on the only day the Senate inquiry was accepting them.
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Google has slammed the Australian government’s decision to race through legislation without a completed trial of age verification technology.
The company said this did not reflect good regulatory practice, and consideration of the bill should be delayed until the trial was completed.
Meta also criticised the bill as being “inconsistent and ineffective”, saying it needs more consultation.
Elon Musk’s X warned in a submission that the bill may not be lawful.
“We have serious concerns as to the lawfulness of the bill, including its compatibility with other regulations and laws, including international human rights treaties to which Australia is a signatory.”
Legislation hasn’t named platforms included in the ban but is expected to include Facebook, Insta, X, TikTok and Snapchat. YouTube will be exempt.
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