Official statements or press releases from the Australian government or Elon Musk

Australia's PM Albanese Defends Under-16 Social Media Ban, Accuses Elon Musk of Pushing X Agenda

Dec 1, 2024, 04:30 AM

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has defended his government's new legislation banning social media use for Australians under 16 years old, following criticism from tech billionaire Elon Musk. The law, described as a world-first and set to come into effect within the next 12 months, requires social media platforms to implement measures preventing minors from creating accounts. Musk, owner of X (formerly Twitter), criticized the ban, suggesting it is a backdoor way of introducing digital ID laws. Albanese rejected these claims, stating that Musk is pushing an agenda for his platform. The Prime Minister noted that the legislation has made the front page of the New York Times and expressed willingness to engage in discussions with Musk.