AIBU to think banning social media for under-16s is a good idea?

[LizardLore]

Just being announced now - social media banned for under-16s.

My instinct is it’s great, but I am interested in other views. My kids are very small so not an issue here yet.

YABU - the ban is bad
YANBU - the ban is good

Digital ID plummeted in support after Starmer announced it.

I was concerned about age bans because of the issues around digital ID, as described by many PP.

But a potential fix has occurred to me. I've no idea if it's likely to work well – if it has possibilities I'm sure the tech companies have also thought of it.

The age-verification model we're discussing on this thread is to identify the user of the website by name (or pseudonym) and then compare that name to a database somewhere containing their DoB.

But that's not the only way to do it.

Smartphones typically use facial ID to unlock, and the data never leaves the machine. It's not stored anywhere else.

Surely it would be possible to build facial-age-recognition software which keeps the data on the machine and then sends a token to the website, to state the current user is of permitted age?

Only approved software would be able to give the token, and there would always be people for whom it didn't work well. But I think this has possibilities to identify someone to a website as of permitted age, without needing to identify them as an individual to the website or to the government.

The UK is proposing much harsher legislation than Australia enacted.

That wouldn’t work for people on computers though unless they had a webcam.

Also are we proving our selfs once to create an account or are we proving everytime we log in?

Because just once will see a lot of people let’s face it just scan a face for their child and be done with it thinking not much more of it. Child with a sibling that’s over 16 scanning their face or tbh even their ID for little siblings mates and so on.

If you don’t store the data to prove it’s that person it’s pointless proof. Just that Joan looked at her phone one day 6 months ago to sign up to Mumsnet. Doesn’t mean Joan’s the one using that account.

I am broadly in favour but I think the bigger issue is about how the platforms work - the addictive nature of them and the way they suggest content. Hopefully the government's full response to the consultation in July will address that and the EU is also looking at it for its proposed Digital Fairness Act which will be published in the autumn.

In the olden days you used to follow people and organisations and you saw their posts on your feed. I don't want to get irrelevant or offensive content suggested to me. Neither do I want to see a million videos of guinea pigs because I looked at one video, cute though they are.

Every computer I've had for the last 10+ years has had a webcam.

And this is to access social media accounts, not make a doctor's appointment. If you want certain restricted social media apps, use the piece of tech with a camera. They're hard enough to avoid!

Usually I'm very hot on digital exclusion issues, but at first glance I don't think this is one.

And yes, I think checking each time might be viable.

I've only just started thinking about this so the idea isn't fully fledged. But off the top of my head it seems plausible that this is actually a very powerful solution.

Eg an adult could allow a child access for an individual video they wanted to watch... and then when the session expires the child no longer has access until the next time the adult allows the child.

I can’t say I’ve seen any computers apart from laptops sold with webcams these days I actually like the fact we don’t have any another safer thing for children online no webcams.

I do agree that everytime would likely be required but I don’t see platforms wanting to be bothered so will likely give a flash us your face once and be done with it to fit gov rules.

Hopefully it will make those irresponsible parents think again. My children are too young for me to have to do anything yet. My eldest is 8 and does not have access to YouTube, will never have Roblox and I’m glad now that I won’t be the only parent not getting him a smart phone. Parents can put all the ‘protections’ on platforms like Roblox but they don’t actually stop the harmful material getting through.

Or one of them!

That won’t work.
Let’s say your child is revising for maths mocks. Videos tend to be 2 minutes snippets. depending on how you are doing, you watch the next ones. easily 15-20 videos in a revision session . Unless you literally stand next to your teen, they won’t be able to access
The only solution is something like a “school section” that gives blanket access to things like Corbett Maths eyc

All I’m saying is it shouldn’t be the government telling us what to do, they are our kids. my daughter is almost 14, she has some of the SM platforms which are very well policed by me, she has spot checks, she’s not allowed to be on her phone in her room after 9.30. Tbh 90% of the time when it kicks off on one of her what’s app groups she comes to tell me the gossip anyway, and her best friend always gives me the low down too. Thankfully my daughter has a good group of friends and they are always bigging each other up on any posts, not tearing each other down. Shes never behind on homework. And she has a better social life than me, she’s off out on about 10 different trips/parties and gatherings in the next month. Not everyone’s kids are addicted to social media or the phones.

The differences being?

Wish it had been banned whilst my daughter was under 16.
Maybe she wouldn't have been bullied as bad..

I agree. I read a newspaper article about the ban in Australia a couple of months after it made law. So many kids under 16 have managed to get round it in some way.

So mine are adults now ,so I've not read much about it
But what about parents who film their children and make money from views on social media
Those children don't have any say in what their parents are doing .. exploiting them ..is this covered by the ban

As Jo bartoch says in this speech; tech companies have been taking the fucking piss with age verification. It’s been sweet FA.

The gov had to act. Tories would have done it sooner.

https://x.com/acadofideas/status/2066511378702090462/video/1?s=46

in that clip she describes how easy it is to get on to porn hub and how it’s been influencing kids for two decades.

a ban isn’t going to work that well but the more the gov put in place, the more fines companies have to pay, the more they’re gonna take note .

I beg your pardon”Tories would have done it sooner” . They did SFAand SFA about vapes! 14 years they had to do something. I have a child who was groomed and abused online during their leadership. They didn’t give a flying f*k. They were completely negligent.

I think the parents saying "who will enforce it" are missing the point... YOU - YOU SHOULD ENFORCE IT!! People want the government to do all their parenting for them, if you pay the phone bill, you have every right to block apps and add restrictions. If you find it on your kids phone then confiscate it. Its not that hard.

I just cant see why anyone would take the risks of letting a child or young teen have TikTok or Instagram - what possible benefit is there to those children.

You have no idea.

I enforce the no TikTok or Instagram by having their phones locked down needing approval to even download the app to start with. As well as checking usage on what time wise and so on.

Parents who don’t even know how to do that will have circles ran around them thinking the government are now protecting their children. False safety.

Bit like nut free schools false safety.

However parents also need to check their wifi hookups because a phone shop by a local secondary sells android phones £52 any child who has the money can go buy one and them zero controls but how many people actually check who and what is on their wifi.

Absolutely in favour.

Social Media has become a monster.

I have 2 DC - one is 12 and one is 14. I know exactly what I'm talking about - the shame is parents who just cba with the hassle of adding restrictions and monitoring phones. Yes your child might complain and kick off - who cares!?

The only good thing to
come out of Labour.