"The ban won't stop kids using social medi, and nobody disputes that. Even Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has admitted as much. "From the beginning, we've acknowledged this process won't be 100 per cent perfect," he wrote in an opinion piece that compares the social media ban to laws that regulate underage drinking. "The fact that teenagers occasionally find a way to have a drink doesn't diminish the value of having a clear, national standard," the PM added."
"Albanese also said the policy is "about helping parents push back against peer pressure. You don't have to worry that by stopping your child using social media, you're somehow making them the odd one out." The PM has also mentioned teen suicides linked to social media, and said the law aims to prevent further such tragedies, so no parent has to experience the anguish of losing a child to online bullying."
"Having been told that the ban is essentially aspirational, Australia now waits to learn what its effect will be. Local media is already full of stories about anguished kids whose circumstances mean social media is a lifeline they fear losing."
Australia has implemented a law banning children under 16 from holding active social media accounts, taking effect Wednesday. The prime minister acknowledged the policy will not be perfectly enforceable and compared it to underage drinking laws, saying a clear national standard helps parents resist peer pressure. The law is partly motivated by concerns about teen suicides and online bullying. Critics warn of unintended consequences: vulnerable children fear losing lifelines, signups are rising on platforms not covered by the ban, and companies' chosen age-verification technologies could create privacy risks while shifting young users to harder-to-regulate services.
Read at Theregister
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]