Last month, Australia passed into law a social-media ban for those under 16, setting a benchmark for jurisdictions around the world with one of the toughest regulations targeting Big Tech, which, until now, had no reason to limit access to social-media platforms.
The Social Media Minimum Age bill sets Australia up as a test case for Western governments concerned about the mental-health impact of social media on young people.
Some European countries and U.S. states have legislated age minimums for social media, but none has rolled out an enforcement regime, due to legal challenges involving privacy and free speech.
The new law will require TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and other social media companies to take “reasonable steps” to keep users under 16 off their platforms or face fines.
And, while the Australian social-media ban is one of the most far-reaching measures so far, enforcement of age limits is going to be a challenge. Short of requiring that a teen scan their identification and submit it for inspection, “age-gating” is problematic because there’s no way to prove whether a teen has found a workaround for the restriction.
“We are seeing a rising groundswell of recognition that this technology is toxic to our kids,” London, Ont.-based tech analyst and journalist Carmi Levy told CBC News. “The momentum is certainly there for Canada to do something.”
Possibly Australia’s new law might move the needle on 91原创 efforts to implement more online protections for young people, although experts argue it’s an imperfect solution, saying it raises the risk of making platforms even more attractive to youth
Matt Hatfield, executive director of the Open Media, a digital rights group promoting equitable access to the internet, told CBC News that “Forbidding young people from something isn’t usually a good way to discourage them from seeking that thing out.”
Nonetheless on Feb. 26, 2024, the federal government introduced Bill C-63 to enact the Online Harms Act, setting a standard for online platforms to keep 91原创s safe and to hold them accountable for the content they host.
Bill C-63 is currently in its second reading in the House of Commons and has yet to reach the Senate
Specifically, it calls for a new body to develop and enforce online safety requirements to which social-media companies would be required to adhere. If Bill C-63 passes, theoretically at least, there would be a single approach required across all platforms.
The proposed Online Harms Act creates a regulatory regime to hold social-media services accountable for reducing exposure to harmful content on their platforms.
Harmful content is defined as content that sexually victimizes a child or re-victimizes a survivor, intimate content communicated without consent, content used to bully a child, content that induces a child to harm themselves, content that foments hatred, content that incites violence, and content that incites violent extremism or terrorism.
All of which brings to mind the advice of 14th century philosopher and theologian William of Ockham, credited for “Occam’s razor,” a problem-solving principle that suggests the simplest solution is usually the best one.
In 2024, that “simplest solution” is not necessarily complicated difficult-to-enforce legislation, but for parents to learn about the apps and social-media platforms children are using.
That’s right, not tech experts, not government, not content providers — parents are still the simplest way to protect kids from online danger.
Given the documented dangers of kids using social media unsupervised, it seems reasonable for parents to show interest and ask questions (without becoming an interrogator) about a child’s online experiences.
It is especially important to make sure that kids understand, for example, that it’s not a good idea for kids to communicate online with unknown adults.
Perhaps, if he was still around, William of Occam would counsel that a little conflict with a teen is a small price to pay for keeping him or her safe from dangers he or she do not have the experience to understand.
Geoff Johnson is a former superintendent of schools.
