The Efficacy of Age Restrictions on Social Media: A Critical Analysis of Australia's New Law

Yet another example of politicians who don’t understand the reality of the internet. As if age restrictions have ever worked for anything! On the net, this means sites will be forced to collect copies of IDs of everyone. And as anyone who has tried to verify themselves in recent times knows, most of these processes fail due to image problems, bot issues, or just plain badly set up mechanisms.

It’s a futile attempt to control the internet that is doomed to fail because it’s not feasible. All it’s going to do is piss off people who are not under 18, especially those forced to prove their age. In practice, this law is more of an attempt to get social media sites to remove themselves from Australia, as that’s the only viable course of action to comply with the law without spending an excessive amount of money on something that won’t work effectively anyway.

Achieving Compliance: A Misguided Approach

Not really, but the people who pushed for the law knew this and said so in national radio interviews. They likened it to underage drinking: there will always be kids buying alcohol with a false ID or parents buying alcohol for their underage children. The rationale behind this is that it gives the parents who agree with the age limit some ammunition: “It’s illegal, so you have to wait until you’re old enough.” The campaign was called 36 months, which is the time given back to children to be children and to their parents to enjoy their children.

A Historical Context

This well-established process stems from the ratings system on music, TV, movies, and print media, which aim to protect children from adult topics and situations. This has been a thing for a very long time and is further exemplified by the regulation of alcohol and tobacco sales to minors. In my not so humble opinion, it should have been done long ago. The current situation in Australia marks a new dawn for age restrictions, and we need to carefully examine its efficacy and practical implications.

The Efficacy of Age Restrictions: An In-Depth Look

How on Earth could this ridiculous proposition ever be effectively enforced? Porn sites have those “You must be 18 to enter, please tick the box below.” Does anyone really think some kid would be stopped by that?

The enforcement mechanisms suggested by the government are impractical and unfeasible. The very nature of the internet and the vast number of users make it practically impossible to crack down on a significant number of under-16 users. Moreover, the existing methods for age verification are flawed and often circumvented.

Furthermore, the motivations behind these restrictions are often driven by the desire to appear responsive rather than a genuine concern for the safety and well-being of children. The law itself is more of a symbolic gesture than a concrete solution. The effectiveness of such measures in practice is highly questionable.

Conclusion

The recently proposed law in Australia banning under-16s from social media is a misguided attempt to control the internet. While the intentions may be noble, the practical realities and the current technological landscape present significant challenges to enforcing such regulations.

The efficacy of age restrictions on social media is still questionable. Until we find better and more practical solutions, these types of laws will continue to fail and frustrate users and platforms alike.