"But what the ban has achieved already is clear. Many politicians, along with academics and philosophers, have noted that self-regulation has not been an effective safeguard against the harms of social media especially when the bottom line for people like Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk depends on keeping eyes on screens. For too long, these companies resisted, decrying censorship and prioritising free speech over moderation."
"The Australian government decided waiting was no longer an option. The social media ban and similar regulation across the world is now dragging tech companies kicking and screaming toward change. That it has taken the force of the law to ensure basic standards such as robust age verification, teen-friendly user accounts and deactivation where appropriate are met shows the moral argument alone was not enough."
"Features such as infinite scroll which encourages users to spend whole hours, even days, on their phones and variable reward systems that mimic gambling, making these platforms like neverending slot machines, have been deemed problematic enough for the state of California to plan to limit teenagers' exposure to addictive feeds to one hour a day unless their parents allow otherwise."
Australia implemented a national ban on social media use for under-16s, prompted by failures of industry self-regulation and platforms prioritising engagement over safety. The law mandates basic protections such as robust age verification, teen-friendly accounts and deactivation where appropriate. Other countries, including Malaysia, Denmark and Brazil, are considering similar measures while the UK prefers to explore platform safety options first. Problematic features like infinite scroll and variable reward systems have prompted proposals in California to limit teenage exposure to addictive feeds. Young people’s testimonies, including concerns about isolation, underscore the need to involve teens in policy design.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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