Australian PM Albanese opposes Musk on social media regulation

(Patria) - Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Sunday that Elon Musk's criticism of Australia's ban on social media for children under sixteen was that the owner of the X company was pushing an agenda for his social platform, Reuters reported.

Australia approved the ban on social media for children late on Thursday after an emotional debate that gripped the nation, setting a benchmark for jurisdictions around the world with one of the strictest regulations targeting Big Tech.

The ban, which the center-left government says is the first in the world, could strain Australia's relations with key ally the United States, where Musk, a central figure in the administration of newly elected President Donald Trump, said in a post this month that it seemed like a "backdoor way to control the internet access of all Australians".

Albanese, when asked on Sunday if he was ready to talk to Musk about the social media ban, said: "We will talk to anyone".

"As for Elon Musk, he has a plan, he has the right to push it as the owner of X, formerly known as Twitter," Albanese added in comments to Australian Broadcasting Corp television.

The law forces tech giants from Instagram and Facebook, owned by Meta, to TikTok to stop minors from logging in or face fines of up to $32 million.

Enforcement methods will begin to be examined in January, and the ban will take effect in one year.

"We are determined to do this, the parliament has passed this law by a large majority," Albanese said, and X did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment outside of working hours.

Albanese's Labor Party received the support of opposition conservatives for the bill, which quickly passed through the country's parliament as part of 31 laws passed on the chaotic last day of parliament this year.