Australian PM Albanese says Musk is pushing ‘Agenda X’ on social media to block criticism Reuters
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Sunday that Elon Musk’s criticism of Australia’s social media ban for under-16s was the owner of X pushing the social media agenda, while signaling he was open to talks with the billionaire. . ban, which was put into law this week.
Australia approved a ban on children’s social media late Thursday after a nationwide debate, setting the benchmark for one of the world’s toughest laws targeting Big Tech.
The ban, which the left-wing government says is the world’s first, could strain Australia’s relationship with a key ally of the United States, which Musk, a key member of President-elect Donald Trump’s administration, said in an email this month it appeared to be “a backdoor way to control access to the internet for everyone.” Australian”.
Albanese, asked on Sunday if he was ready to talk to Musk about the social media ban, said: “We will talk to anyone”.
“Regarding Elon Musk, he has an agenda, he has the right to emphasize that as the owner of X, which was known as Twitter,” said Albanese commenting on the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
The law forces tech giants from Instagram and Facebook (NASDAQ:) owner Meta, to TikTok to stop children from entering or face fines of up to A$49.5 million ($32 million). A review of enforcement methods begins in January when the ban goes into effect for the year.
“We are willing to do this, the parliament passed this law,” Albanese told the broadcaster.
UX did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment outside business hours.
The Albanian Labor Party has received significant support from the opposition for a bill that was rushed through the country’s parliament as part of the 31 bills passed on the tumultuous last day of the year’s parliament.
