Australia may increase age limits for signing up to Facebook. If a positive decision on this matter is accepted, then sign up to Facebook in Australia can only begin at the age of 18.
The country’s authorities decided to study this problem and discuss it under the pressure from parents, who argue that the age limit is now too soft and content in Facebook could harm children. Now to have a Facebook account you must be at least 13 years old, however, proof of your age is not necessary, therefore, even younger children may register on Facebook.
The main question now is how to force users of Facebook to confirm their age. Also possibility of providing access to the parents for their children’s accounts in social networking site Facebook is considered. According to chief prosecutor John Rau, this is a reasonable solution that will help parents to protect their children from unsuitable content in the social network.
However, a number of Australian experts do not believe that such age restriction verification can be implemented in practice.
If the limit would be accepted, the possibility for parents to allow their children to register on Facebook may be considered individually.
