Social networks on the Internet could be a plague for young people, says Australia’s Prime Minister. He therefore wants to take tough action. Is that practical?
Canberra – The Australian government wants to allow children and young people access to social media only from a certain minimum age. The age limit could be between 14 and 16 years, said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, without committing to a specific age.
A corresponding law is to be introduced in parliament this year. “It is a scourge,” said the Labor politician, according to media reports, about the effect of online networks such as Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok and Co. on children. Criticism comes from experts.
How is this supposed to work technically?
Australia’s prime minister did not say how access would be technically verified. The government is currently testing various options for checking the age of users. This also involves getting the platforms to obtain permission from parents online, media reports said.
He wants children to have a childhood, the 61-year-old added. “We know that social media causes social harm and keeps children away from real friends and real experiences,” Albanese added. “Parents want to see their children off the phone and on the football field – I do too.”
Support for the opposition
Support comes from the opposition, which wants to set the limit at 16. “We need to give children the opportunity to grow up before they are exposed to this frankly horrific environment of social media,” said Liberal Party communications spokesman David Coleman.
The chair of the Australian Psychological Association, Carly Dober, criticised the planned ban because, in her view, it does not address the fundamental problem. “It is a stopgap solution to a very complicated and deep-rooted problem,” she told the news agency AAP. “Hate speech and deeply misogynistic, racist and sexist content continue to exist online.” And children will continue to be targeted with very sophisticated advertising that is only aimed at getting them to consume various products and services.
It is also ignored that online networks can also offer advantages to young people, for example if they come from marginalized backgrounds. “LGBTQI, young refugees, disabled young people – they find a sense of community there when their experiences at school or in their environment are not so welcoming.” LGBTQI stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex people.
Initiative raises questions about data protection
When the first calls for a minimum age for access to online networks were made, experts pointed out another hurdle. There would be a serious problem with data protection if parents were now required by platforms to disclose the age of their children with their permission, warned Daniel Angus, professor of digital communication at Queensland University of Technology, on ABC. In addition, the platforms could find ways to circumvent a ban.
Belinda Barnett, a lecturer at Swinburne University, expressed similar sentiments: “As a parent and as a researcher in the field of social media, I like the idea of age restrictions for children,” she said. “But it’s actually impossible to implement this without collecting information about Australian citizens that we might not want to give to social media platforms.”
Prime Minister Albanese, on the other hand, stressed that the safety and mental and physical health of young people must be the top priority. “Enough is enough,” he said. Social media and digital platforms must live up to their social responsibility.
According to reports, an example of the nationwide move is a similar initiative in the state of South Australia, where access to social networks will only be permitted from the age of 14. Parental permission will also be required for 14- and 15-year-olds.
Comparison with cigarettes and alcohol
Networks such as Facebook, Instagram and Tiktok must therefore take measures to prevent children from accessing them, said South Australia’s Prime Minister Peter Malinauskas, according to media reports. As with cigarettes and alcohol, the government must intervene if a product could harm children. dpa
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