Elon Musk has blasted proposed legislation from Australia’s government that would outlaw access to social media for children under 16. The center-left Labor Party administration intends to trial a wide-ranging age verification system that could include biometrics or government ID credentials to enforce the stringent policy. X owner Musk responded to news of the plans by suggesting the initiative could lead to government control of online access in the country, following previous disputes with the authorities. He took to his social media platform to state: “Seems like a backdoor way to control access to the Internet for all Australians.” Seems like a backdoor way to control access to the Internet by all Australians https://t.co/694yCzWOaB — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 21, 2024 With Prime Minister Anthony Albanese leading the charge against social media platforms, he has described the bill as essential to protect young people and an offensive toward the apps to urgently take action. “This is a landmark reform.