Anika Wells Makes Time100 List for Australia’s Under-16 Social Media Ban
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Oct 1
Anika Wells Makes Time100 List for Australia’s Under-16 Social Media Ban
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Oct 1
Summary
Time named Australian communications minister Anika Wells a “world’s most influential rising star” for driving the country’s under-16 social media ban and broader efforts to confront big tech.
The recognition reflects the global reach of Australia’s child-social-media restrictions, which took effect last year and have since inspired similar proposals or laws in parts of Europe, Asia and some U.S. states.
Julia Gillard, writing Wells’ testimonial, called the reforms world-leading and praised her for resisting opposition from major tech companies over measures aimed at protecting children online.
Questions over the ban’s effectiveness and enforcement still hang over the accolade, with opposition communications spokeswoman Sarah Henderson saying the policy had failed and criticizing planned online-safety powers as draconian.
Wells is now developing a digital duty-of-care framework that would let users opt out of algorithms pushing dangerous or divisive content, extending Australia’s push to regulate online platforms.