QUOTE:

"Public debate about Australia’s looming teen social media ban has naturally focused on children — but it is going to affect Australians of all ages.

Details about the Labor government’s promise to boot teens off social media have continued to drip out. Tech companies will be responsible for policing their platforms and not parents, but some might avoid a ban if they can prove a “low risk”.

Teens already on social media might keep their accounts, according to options canvassed in a letter from the prime minister to state and territory leaders, and those with parental permission might be allowed to stay too. A phone showing social media applications (Image: AAP/Nick Ansell/PA Wire) Data breaches, leaks and fake IDs: Why teen social media bans could impact all ages Read More

Recently, more than 140 Australian academics, international experts and civil groups have signed an open letter opposing the proposal. One of their concerns relates to questions around the “how” — the way that the government is going to implement this policy.

There’s no solid detail on that, yet. The government is considering applications from groups vying to run a trial of the various methods that could be used to enforce a teen social media age ban, including things like using the government’s Digital ID, credit cards, facial analysis, and other potential technologies. This trial is due to report by the end of the financial year at the latest (which is just after the latest possible date for the next federal election).

Crikey has covered the many potential issues with the various implementations of this policy. But even before you can consider those issues, there’s one aspect of the policy discussion that’s making it difficult to even have an honest conversation about the pros and cons.

Limiting teens from using social media requires being able to figure out the age of every social media user. Understandably, most of the focus has been on young Australians, but the ramification of this policy goes further.

What the government is proposing is a national social media age verification scheme. Or, to put it plainly, every Australian is going to have to prove their age when they go online in a way that they never have before. Maybe it’s by showing government ID, a credit card, or some other way — whatever the method, it’s a bump that’s going to be felt by each of us. "

As with most seeming to harm online rights, this also said to "protect the kids".

Anytime we read internet laws (titled) "to protect the kids", we have to ask: "what level of collective punishment in loss of liberty are we in for this time?" 🤔