Australia’s Social Media Ban for Children Takes Effect

[Dashinka 26,319]

This could be interesting.  Wonder if it will be effective with the age estimation by inference?  I expect a lot of kid can figure a way around that.  Maybe parents should parent and not ask a government for help.

 

Australia’s Social Media Ban for Children Takes Effect

 

The ban initially covers 10 platforms, but the government said the list would change as new products emerge and young users switch to alternatives.

 

Of the initial 10, all but Elon Musk’s X have said they will comply using age inference—guessing a person’s age from their online activity—or age estimation, which is usually based on a selfie. They might also check with uploaded identification documents or linked bank account details.

 

Musk has said the ban “seems like a backdoor way to control access to the internet by all Australians” and most platforms have complained that it violates people’s right to free speech. An Australian High Court challenge overseen by a libertarian state lawmaker is pending.

 

https://www.dailysignal.com/2025/12/09/australias-social-media-ban-for-children-takes-effect/

[TBoneTX 48,660]

1 hour ago, Dashinka said:

age estimation, which is usually based on a selfie

If Ms. Thunberg, the doom pixie, were Australian, she'd be banned by inference.  How DEHHHHH they!

[mam521 2,810]

It's not a bad thing, honestly.  The banning of phones in the schools in TX has been pretty much all positive.  Students will reluctantly admit it.  Teachers like hearing kids actually converse.  Maybe the next generation won't be so anxiety riddled and lacking in interpersonal skills with these types of bans.  

[Dashinka 26,319]

7 minutes ago, mam521 said:

It's not a bad thing, honestly.  The banning of phones in the schools in TX has been pretty much all positive.  Students will reluctantly admit it.  Teachers like hearing kids actually converse.  Maybe the next generation won't be so anxiety riddled and lacking in interpersonal skills with these types of bans.  

I agree with limiting phone use in schools, etc., and quite honestly I am not a huge user of social media (VJ an exception), so have no issues with people not using it.  My main question is how effective will this plan be, and do we need a government body doing this?

[mam521 2,810]

18 hours ago, Dashinka said:

I agree with limiting phone use in schools, etc., and quite honestly I am not a huge user of social media (VJ an exception), so have no issues with people not using it.  My main question is how effective will this plan be, and do we need a government body doing this?

Well, our district had a policy banning phones and it was poorly implemented.  Then the state government banned them and the implementation held.  Unfortunately, maybe there does need to be government overreach in this instance.  People are of differing opinions, but the science says this stuff is rotting our kids brains. 

 

I didn't let my kid have any social media until she was nearly 14 (I was mean for making her wait that long, apparently) but she'll tell you now, at nearly 19, that she shouldn't have had it that young.  Kid2 only uses YouTube and Discord, but neither are on the Aussie ban list.  My dumb(something) sister has let my niece have Snapchat since she was 10 and the kid has FB and Insta and who knows what else. My niece just turned 13...way too young but my sister is like "oh it's fine".  Too many people like my sister out there.