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Monsha’at Signs MoU with Microsoft Arabia to Drive Tech Innovation

The Biban24 Forum, organized by Monsha’at under the theme “A Global Destination for Opportunities,” runs from November 5 to 9 in Riyadh. SPA
The Biban24 Forum, organized by Monsha’at under the theme “A Global Destination for Opportunities,” runs from November 5 to 9 in Riyadh. SPA
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Monsha’at Signs MoU with Microsoft Arabia to Drive Tech Innovation

The Biban24 Forum, organized by Monsha’at under the theme “A Global Destination for Opportunities,” runs from November 5 to 9 in Riyadh. SPA
The Biban24 Forum, organized by Monsha’at under the theme “A Global Destination for Opportunities,” runs from November 5 to 9 in Riyadh. SPA

The Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority (Monsha’at) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Microsoft Arabia at the Biban24 Forum.
The MoU was signed by Monsha’at Deputy Governor for Planning and Development Suliman bin Abdulrahman Alturaif and Microsoft Arabia vice president Zainab Alamin.
The agreement aims to strengthen collaboration to support technology startups and exceptional entrepreneurs by providing them access to support, technology, and resources through Microsoft’s Founders Hub program. It also includes information sharing to align objectives and explore capabilities to achieve goals in accordance with Saudi regulations and policies.
The Biban24 Forum, organized by Monsha’at under the theme “A Global Destination for Opportunities,” runs from November 5 to 9 in Riyadh. The event seeks to foster the growth and competitiveness of entrepreneurial projects and promote an entrepreneurial culture, contributing to Vision 2030's goal of increasing SMEs' contribution to the national economy.

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A Social Media Ban for Under-16s Passes the Australian Senate and Will Soon be a World-first Law

A teenager uses his mobile phone to access social media, Sydney, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (Dean Lewins/AAP Image VIA AP)
A teenager uses his mobile phone to access social media, Sydney, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (Dean Lewins/AAP Image VIA AP)
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A Social Media Ban for Under-16s Passes the Australian Senate and Will Soon be a World-first Law

A teenager uses his mobile phone to access social media, Sydney, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (Dean Lewins/AAP Image VIA AP)
A teenager uses his mobile phone to access social media, Sydney, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (Dean Lewins/AAP Image VIA AP)

A social media ban for children under 16 passed the Australian Senate Thursday and will soon become a world-first law.

The law will make platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram liable for fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars ($33 million) for systemic failures to prevent children younger than 16 from holding accounts, The AP reported.

The Senate passed the bill 34 votes to 19. The House of Representatives on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved the legislation 102 votes to 13.

The House has yet to endorse opposition amendments made in the Senate. But that is a formality since the government has already agreed they will pass.

The platforms will have one year to work out how they could implement the ban before penalties are enforced.

The amendments bolster privacy protections. Platforms would not be allowed to compel users to provide government-issued identity documents including passports or driver’s licenses, nor could they demand digital identification through a government system.

The House is scheduled to pass the amendments on Friday. Critics of the legislation fear that banning young children from social media will impact the privacy of users who must establish they are older than 16.

While the major parties support the ban, many child welfare and mental health advocates are concerned about unintended consequences.

Sen. David Shoebridge, from the minority Greens party, said mental health experts agreed that the ban could dangerously isolate many children who used social media to find support.

“This policy will hurt vulnerable young people the most, especially in regional communities and especially the LGBTQI community, by cutting them off,” Shoebridge told the Senate.

Opposition Sen. Maria Kovacic said the bill was not radical but necessary.

“The core focus of this legislation is simple: It demands that social media companies take reasonable steps to identify and remove underage users from their platforms,” Kovacic told the Senate.

“This is a responsibility these companies should have been fulfilling long ago, but for too long they have shirked these responsibilities in favor of profit,” she added.

Online safety campaigner Sonya Ryan, whose 15-year-old daughter Carly was murdered by a 50-year-old pedophile who pretended to be a teenager online, described the Senate vote as a “monumental moment in protecting our children from horrendous harms online.”

“It’s too late for my daughter, Carly, and the many other children who have suffered terribly and those who have lost their lives in Australia, but let us stand together on their behalf and embrace this together,” she told the AP in an email.

Wayne Holdsworth, whose teenage son Mac took his own life after falling victim to an online sextortion scam, had advocated for the age restriction and took pride in its passage.

“I have always been a proud Australian, but for me subsequent to today’s Senate decision, I am bursting with pride,” Holdsworth told the AP in an email.