[[{“value”:”The Australian government has pledged to legislate an age limit of 16 years for social media access, with penalties for online platforms that do not comply. But the Labor government has not spelled out how it expects Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and others to actually enforce that age limit. Anthony Albanese is facing pressure from the Coalition opposition
The post Where they are headed appeared first on Marginal REVOLUTION.”}]]
The Australian government has pledged to legislate an age limit of 16 years for social media access, with penalties for online platforms that do not comply.
But the Labor government has not spelled out how it expects Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and others to actually enforce that age limit. Anthony Albanese is facing pressure from the Coalition opposition to rush the bill through parliament in the next three weeks, although a federal trial into age assurance technology has not yet commenced.
Albanese and the communications minister, Michelle Rowland, did not rule out the potential for social media users to have their faces subject to biometric scanning, for online platforms to verify users’ ages using a government database, or for all social media users – regardless of age – being subject to age checks, only saying it would be up to tech companies to set their own processes.
Here is the full story. Keep in mind this move, if applied consistently, would eliminate anonymous postings. It also would have to be enforced across a very large number of apps, even for Meta alone. Should everyone’s biometrics be put into what might be China-hackable form? And it means the government — not the parents — is deciding the proper level of social media access for children.
Are the major social media critics for this? Against it? Or are they not so keen to say, one way or the other?
The post Where they are headed appeared first on Marginal REVOLUTION.
Current Affairs, Law, Uncategorized
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