As Australia enforces a social media ban for under-16s

[putnam6]

As Australia enforces a social media ban for under-16 Australian teens call the social media ban 'pointless.'

It may seem pointless, but if this helps just a small portion be safer, it's probably worth it to try.

Reuters

@Reuters

As Australia enforces a social media ban for under-16s, Sydney teens question its impact, while global governments watch the test case closely https://reut.rs/4rPE6R6
 

[xpert11]

The under-16 age social media ban is a moronic policy that ignores genuine issues. The policy risks cutting off young people from their social contact means, but leaves matters like scammers and men sending inappropriate photos to women ignored. 

I have nothing kind to say about the Australian government's nonsensical stance on social media.

[UltraBudgie]

And didn't they just state that VPN services are supposed to prevent under-16s from accessing sites, too?

Fun!


Edit: Oh wait, no, it's the platforms that are supposed to enforce this:

We know that some under-16s may find their way around the age restrictions, like some get around restrictions on cigarettes and alcohol.

But age-restricted platforms have to take steps to stop under-16s getting around the law. This includes having ways to prevent under-16s from faking their age by using false identity documents, AI tools or deepfakes. It also means trying to stop under-16s from using VPNs to pretend to be outside Australia.

Platforms may assess age-related signals which can help work out if someone is under 16. These signals can include:

how long an account has been active
whether the account holder interacts with content targeted at children under 16
analysis of the language level and style used by the account holder and the people they interact with
visual checks, such as facial age analysis of the account holder’s photos and videos
audio analysis, such as age estimation of the voice of the account holder
activity patterns consistent with school schedules
connections with other users who appear to be under 16
membership in youth-focused groups, forums or communities.

Platforms may also use location-based signals which can help work out if an account holder usually lives in Australia and could be using a VPN to pretend they don’t. These signals can include:

IP address(es)
GPS or other location services
device language and time settings
a device identifier
an Australian phone number
app store or operating system or account settings
photos, tags, connections, engagement or activity.

Evidence of these age and location signals is expected to trigger the age assurance process, or review of an account if it has already been checked.

https://www.esafety.gov.au/about-us/indu...tions/faqs

So, will DI simply geo-block Australia and known-VPN IPs, or introduce age verification? Or perhaps simply tell Australia to go jump in a billabong?


If you're thinking that perhaps this doesn't apply to DI, here are the criteria:

The conditions for age restriction are:

the sole purpose, or a significant purpose, of the service is to enable online social interaction between two or more end-users
the service allows end-users to link to, or interact with, other end-users
the service allows end-users to post material on the service
material on the service is accessible to, or delivered to, end-users in Australia.

[DontTreadOnMe]

And didn't they just state that VPN services are supposed to prevent under-16s from accessing sites, too?

Fun!


Edit: Oh wait, no, it's the platforms that are supposed to enforce this:

https://www.esafety.gov.au/about-us/indu...tions/faqs

So, will DI simply geo-block Australia and known-VPN IPs, or introduce age verification? Or perhaps simply tell Australia to go jump in a billabong?


If you're thinking that perhaps this doesn't apply to DI, here are the criteria:

Are forums social media?  I didn't think so.

Somehow, I don't equate what DI is with the likes of tiktok, FB, Pinterest, and X.

[ANNEE]

This is their world.  This is what they are born into.

Tech savvy kids will have no problem getting around this.  Which leaves the rest falling behind.

[UltraBudgie]

Are forums social media?  I didn't think so.

Somehow, I don't equate what DI is with the likes of tiktok, FB, Pinterest, and X.

Why, yes, they obviously are. I can understand why one might want to argue they shouldn't apply, but the criteria are clear:

The conditions for age restriction are:

the sole purpose, or a significant purpose, of the service is to enable online social interaction between two or more end-users
the service allows end-users to link to, or interact with, other end-users
the service allows end-users to post material on the service
material on the service is accessible to, or delivered to, end-users in Australia.

https://www.esafety.gov.au/about-us/indu...tions/faqs

For example, the web-forum Reddit is now changing to require age verification. It's the "future".

[andy06shake]

I imagine millions of kids in Australia just turned 16.

They will simply lie about their age, which is apt to defeat the purpose of the exercise and compromise online safety even more.