Kids cop social media ban as world-first rules kick in
With the introduction of world-first laws aimed at better protecting children online, millions of young people were banned from accessing social media.
Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, YouTube and TikTok are among the platforms that have agreed to implement rules that prohibit anyone under the age of 16 from having an account.
Young Nick Leech is one of those whose access has been revoked.
The 15-year-old says he is most worried about how he will keep in touch with friends who live interstate.
“I mostly use Snapchat to message them and talk to them, and I also use things like Instagram and Facebook to find out what’s going on in their lives,” he told AAP.
The teenager, from regional Victoria, is taking part in a study led by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and Deakin University that will track how the ban affects young people.
“(Social media) has become such a big role in people’s lives that I think taking it away suddenly would definitely cause some problems,” Nick said.
Under the changes, social media platforms will be required to take reasonable steps to prevent anyone under the age of 16 from having an account.
Tech companies are expected to use a range of methods to verify a user’s age, including AI facial scans, sophisticated analysis of people’s sharing patterns and language, and digital identities.
Some platforms, such as YouTube, will be accessible without an account, but it will be harder for algorithms to target content to children.
The ban was also subject to last-minute changes: just a month before it went into effect, social media platform Reddit and streaming site Kick were added.
Little-known apps Lemon8 and Yope have also been warned they could be included as children flock to these apps to avoid restrictions.
AAP has heard from dozens of parents who are deeply divided over whether the new rules are an important safety measure or an overreach that strips families of their right to choose how they raise their children.
Abby Howells, a teacher in Canberra who has two boys aged 18 and 15, said she was hopeful the ban would help younger children, but said it was possible if not overpowered.
“I think my kids did this big experiment, you had this phone thing. Nobody knows what it’s going to do to them,” he told AAP.
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