Australia social media ban: LinkedIn says it does not appeal under 16-s; wants to be exempt

Social media companies that are seen as not complying with the new law could be hit with fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars, or $33 million [File]
| Photo Credit: AP

LinkedIn has submitted a statement to an Australian senate committee ahead of the country’s ban proposal claiming its professional networking platform is not interesting enough to lure child users.

“LinkedIn simply does not have content interesting and appealing to minors,” the company said in statement to BBC.

Australia’s House of Representatives passed a bill on Wednesday (November 27, 2024) to ban children below 16 from major social media platforms and it could become a law this week. Social media giants that will be covered by this potential law include Google, Meta, Snapchat-owner Snap, TikTok, and X. Several companies have expressed concerns that the law is being implemented too quickly and critics worry that children under 16 may still use social media without safety guardrails.

However, supporters of the law claim that it will help keep children safe from online dangers, and assist parents in raising them as responsible internet users.

Non-compliant social media companies could be hit with fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars, or $33 million.

LinkedIn, which is owned by Microsoft, is hoping to get an exemption from the list of social media companies coming under the scope of the legislation.

LinkedIn does allow minors aged 16 and 17 on its platform across several regions.

“We are committed to keeping our platform safe and professional for all users. In some areas, laws require us to restrict access to our services for users who are not yet adults (“Minors”). The LinkedIn experience and access to our services may not be available to Minors depending on where they live,” noted LinkedIn on its website, adding, “You must be at least 16 years old to use LinkedIn. In regions where the law requires you to be older than 16 to use our services without parental consent, the minimum age is the age at which such parental consent is not required.”