I preach about responsible usage of tech, so everyone should be watching this one carefully. Australia’s ban on social media for those under 16 took place on December 10. Just about all of the major apps are included along the way, including Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube. The various brands are struggling here and there with glitches like false positives for being over 16, but apparently the government there is expecting some slop. What concerns me most is that parents have been teaching their youth various ways around the standard, essentially how to break the law. I get that some may consider it an unjust law, but I also see that perhaps this may get those youth away from addictive tech habits, which isn’t so bad. How will this impact the youth in Australia for the better or worse in a couple of years. Contrasting, how will this play out elsewhere, as some other countries, and even states here are considering it? Time will tell.
Accounts held by users under 16 must be removed on apps that include TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, Snapchat, Reddit, Kick, Twitch and Threads under ban
