The House of Representatives of the Australian Federal Parliament has given the green light to a government-proposed bill that aims to prohibit social media access for individuals under the age of 16. The voting results, made public on the parliament's website, reveal that 102 out of 115 members of parliament (MPs) endorsed the legislation.
According to Report, the 13 parliamentarians who opposed the government's proposal included the entire faction of the Green Party and several independent MPs. The bill is expected to be forwarded to the upper house in the coming days, where it is likely to garner support from the majority of senators.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who personally presented the bill to the parliamentarians, expressed his anticipation of its "unequivocal approval" before the end of the week. This move comes as part of the Australian government's efforts to amend the existing legislation governing online safety, aiming to restrict access to social media platforms for those below the age of 16.