Australia's Social Media Ban

[kej718]

Australia recently passed a groundbreaking law banning social media use for individuals under 16, making it the first country to implement such a measure. The law, approved in late November 2024, aims to address concerns over the mental health impact of social media on minors. Social media companies must ensure compliance or face fines up to AU$50 million. The law, which excludes gaming platforms and video-sharing sites like YouTube, is set to take effect in 12 months.

The Australian social media ban for under-16s will require social media platforms to verify users' ages using stricter methods, potentially including biometric data or government-issued identification. Biometric data, such as facial recognition or fingerprint scanning, could be used to verify users' ages on social media platforms by matching them against government records or using AI to estimate their age. If you can't verify you're over 16, your account could be suspended or restricted.

 

[Afro]

Biometric data, such as facial recognition or fingerprint scanning, could be used to verify users' ages on social media platforms by matching them against government records or using AI to estimate their age.

Haha, they just gonna GeoBlock Aussies. VPNs win again hahaha.

 

[newworldafro]

Run-around way to get Internet IDs into place along with Digital Social Credit Score.

Australia is scarier than Great Britain in terms of incremental Tyranny.

Look, it's not about kids verifying their age.....It's Everyone Verifying Who They Are to Access Social Media. They'll take it a step further and say the Internet needs personal ID to access, plus need a credit score to determine if you should be awarded or punished for onl8ne and offline activities

^^^How do I know this? Because this describes current Chinese society. That's What China Does As I Type This. Yes, it's a cool ass country with all the tech and it's safe and this and that, but adopting these techniques for social control will swiftly undermine what it means to be American in terms of freedom.

You can maybe make an argument for porn sites, but social media will be straw for the camel.

 

[Jasonmask]

Sm is out of control now. I don’t even post anything anymore it just feels redundant and pointless I’m not trying to be an influencer and people try to cancel me on there for the dumbest reasons. Tik tok is pure brain rot as well I feel depressed going on there we need to go back to the early days of social media like MySpace-early IG era. Zuckerburger single-handedly screwed SM up he got greedy copying everything I hope we do the same here

 

[3rdWorld]

America as an unapologetic Capitalist nation is dictated to by Business and Industry..money rules in the US.

Foreign lands, even western ones are prepared to ban shyt America would never because of the commercial demands of big business..
I said in the eu they'd ban AI tech if it messes with their labor force..something America would never do.

 

[Dorian Breh]

this is a solution that will only compound the problem

politicians are so far out of their element with this tech stuff

 

[get these nets]

Something has to be done. A few years back , govt agencies in America had to issue danger warnings because ADULTS were getting injured/dying from social media challenges.
Picture how impressionable children are if grown men & women are following stupid trends like that.

 

[Hov]

Run-around way to get Internet IDs into place along with Digital Social Credit Score.

Australia is scarier than Great Britain in terms of incremental Tyranny.

Look, it's not about kids verifying their age.....It's Everyone Verifying Who They Are to Access Social Media. They'll take it a step further and say the Internet needs personal ID to access, plus need a credit score to determine if you should be awarded or punished for onl8ne and offline activities

^^^How do I know this? Because this describes current Chinese society. That's What China Does As I Type This. Yes, it's a cool ass country with all the tech and it's safe and this and that, but adopting these techniques for social control will swiftly undermine what it means to be American in terms of freedom.

You can maybe make an argument for porn sites, but social media will be straw for the camel.

Devils advocate, social media is not a right. There would be less trolls and hate and propaganda if people knew they would be tracked.

But typing this I beat my own argument because maybe be need social for justice, anti govt rhetoric and galvanizing - but which one happens more?

this is a solution that will only compound the problem

politicians are so far out of their element with this tech stuff

What is out of tough about a ban?

Isn’t it easier to get on social media normally then to download and pay for a VPN (we are talking about kids right?)

 

[RickyDiBiase]

Sm is out of control now. I don’t even post anything anymore it just feels redundant and pointless I’m not trying to be an influencer and people try to cancel me on there for the dumbest reasons. Tik tok is pure brain rot as well I feel depressed going on there we need to go back to the early days of social media like MySpace-early IG era. Zuckerburger single-handedly screwed SM up he got greedy copying everything I hope we do the same here

dude ain't nobody trying to cancel you.

 

[Concerned Citizen]

I’m no fan of European colonizers but I’ll be damned if I don’t admit this is a good look. Social media is poison for most especially the youth. I have to monitor my 11 year old closely on Robloks and to think that a lot of parents just let their kids run wild on the social media and the net in general is scary.

 

[newworldafro]

Run-around way to get Internet IDs into place along with Digital Social Credit Score.

Australia is scarier than Great Britain in terms of incremental Tyranny.

Look, it's not about kids verifying their age.....It's Everyone Verifying Who They Are to Access Social Media. They'll take it a step further and say the Internet needs personal ID to access, plus need a credit score to determine if you should be awarded or punished for onl8ne and offline activities

^^^How do I know this? Because this describes current Chinese society. That's What China Does As I Type This. Yes, it's a cool ass country with all the tech and it's safe and this and that, but adopting these techniques for social control will swiftly undermine what it means to be American in terms of freedom.

You can maybe make an argument for porn sites, but social media will be straw for the camel.

Here it is Yall. Folks wanted to control speech globally, well here we go with a real attempt .....

x.com

x.com

 

[DamienWayne]

Biometric data, such as facial recognition or fingerprint scanning, could be used to verify users' ages on social media platforms by matching them against government records or using AI to estimate their age.


Seems like a slippery slope to rely on finger print scans and Face ID regulated by AI but can’t put the cork back in the bottle now

 

[Adeptus Astartes]

This is a tough one. Kids have no business on social media. SM CEOs know how dangerous and addictive it is on top of being a vector for psyops foreign and domestic, not to mention all the sexual predators.

But I can't cosign this level of intervention, especially the AI aspect. Definitely a backdoor to police the Internet and speech as a whole.

 

[ViShawn]

Information wants to be free but we also gotta protect the kids

 

[MajesticLion]

"Insane", eh.