Billionaire Elon Musk criticizes Australia's social media ban on children
Billionaire Elon Musk, who is known for his controversial views, recently criticized Australia's social media ban on children.
US billionaire Elon Musk, owner of social media platform X, has strongly criticized new laws proposed in Australia to restrict the use of social media by children under 16. The draft law would require social media platforms to comply with strict age regulations or face hefty fines of up to $32 million for violations.
According to Elon Musk, this regulation not only erodes personal freedom but also poses great challenges for technology companies in controlling users while hindering personal freedom, which can lead to unwanted consequences in connecting and educating young children.
The Australian government officially introduced a major bill to the parliament on November 21, marking a drastic step in controlling social media activities. Accordingly, the government plans to test an age verification system to ensure strict enforcement of age restrictions for users, especially children under 16.
This is considered one of the strictest controls on social networks that any country in the world has ever proposed, promising to set a remarkable precedent in the fight to protect children in cyberspace.
Elon Musk, who often describes himself as a defender of free speech, expressed his strong opposition to Australia's new bill through a post on the social media platform X on the evening of November 21. In a response to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's post about the bill, Musk warned: "This seems like an indirect way to control the internet access of all Australians."
Musk's comments not only expressed criticism of the bill's restrictive measures, but also implied that the law could lead to an infringement of Australian citizens' fundamental freedoms in accessing information on the internet.
Many countries have expressed commitment to passing legal measures to limit children's use of social media, but Australia's bill stands out for its severity.
Unlike some other policies, the law does not make any exceptions, even for children with parental consent or for social media accounts that existed before the law was enacted. This makes Australia's policy one of the most aggressive attempts to regulate social media to date, with the potential to set a significant precedent internationally.
Last year, France proposed banning children under 15 from using social media without parental consent. The proposal marked an effort by France to strengthen child protection against online dangers, but left room for flexibility in parental intervention.
Meanwhile, the United States has long had legal measures in place to protect children online, requiring technology companies to obtain explicit parental consent before collecting or processing personal data from children under 13, under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). These policies reflect the varying approaches countries take to protecting children on social media and technology platforms.
Elon Musk has clashed publicly with the Australian government several times in the past, particularly over policies related to social media regulation. One of the most prominent points of tension was when the Australian government introduced anti-disinformation laws, which would require social media platforms to be responsible for monitoring and removing false content.
Musk has not been shy about his criticism of the law, even publicly calling the Australian government “fascist.” Musk’s stance reflects a deep disagreement with policies that he believes violate freedom of speech, a value he has said he firmly defends.
In April, social media platform X, owned by Elon Musk, took Australia's internet regulator to court to challenge an order to remove several posts related to a knife attack on a bishop in Sydney.
The Australian regulator said the posts contained misleading or hateful content, but Musk defended his position, saying the request violated free speech principles.
In response, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese did not hesitate to criticize Musk, calling him an "arrogant billionaire" and emphasizing that social media platforms need to take responsibility for controlling harmful content. This incident further increased tensions between Musk and the Australian government over the approach to regulating social media.