Australia's social media curbs are worthy of emulation

Barring under 16s from social media will at least spotlight the harm these platforms are doing them

- RAHUL JACOB

Australia's barring of children under 16 from accessing social media is a giant leap forward for humankind in its effort to police tech companies. The new law, passed in Australian parliament last week with support from the opposition as well, trains a spotlight on the damage that social media does to society. Australia has done the world a service.

Technology companies are mandated to take "reasonable steps" to prevent underage users from using social media services or risk being fined $32 million. The bill was backed by Australia's main opposition party, the Liberal Party.

It is 60 years since Donald Horne, an academic, called Australia "the lucky country," a phrase intended as an insult. Instead, on every visit, I find a pragmatic and sensible country, relative to the thoroughly polarized US and UK. This past week saw calm responses to a freak electricity blackout in Sydney, and then, in the field of cricket, there was the always classy Pat Cummins' refusal to reflexively axe members of his team after a thrashing by the Indian team.

Critics of the social media bill will point out that enforcement is likely to prove, well, impractical. Certainly, deciding on what form of identity will serve as proof-of-age will be complicated by the need to protect the privacy of citizens.

Yet, the common-sense approach taken by Australian politicians of all stripes in acknowledging the damage social media does to young children is worth emulating. One need look no further than