A nice little Nanny problem
From the BBC – Australia plans social media ban for under-16s.
This little item raises a couple of interesting questions.
The first of course is the issue of banning something a gubmint disagrees with. I have an instinctive negative reaction to the word “ban”. It reeks of the Nanny State whose reaction to any perceived problem is to introduce a ban. However in this instance I do have conflicting thoughts. I am indeed concerned about the shit that is out there on anti-social media. I am concerned to a degree about the Grandkids and the stuff they may come across. However I think the correct thing here is to educate the kids and teach them to question everything they read and not to take anything at face value. This is the method employed by Daughter and I think it’s the sensible one.
The second question is perhaps more interesting.
How? How exactly are kids to be banned? What mechanism can possibly lock out the under-16s?
I know a little bit about web technology [*cough*] and I cannot think of any method of screening by age. The method that is commonly used is the “Are you 17 or over?” button on a web page. This of course is as useful and reliable as a fart in a gale. Just about any and every method relies on complete honesty. I have heard of methods whereby a person has to produce a passport or something similar. Again this is unworkable as kids would easily find a workaround. In fact any method of verification has loopholes and I can guarantee won’t keep the smart kids out.
I wish the Aussies luck with this one.
Or maybe I don’t.
I would think the kids in Australia are as capable at work arounds as any other kids. Of course, it is possible that they are all as honest as the day is long.
In the long run, it seems that your daughter has the right idea.
Of course the answer is simple if you think like a gruberment, require a credit card to be registered to the account! No charge would be made (at first anyway) that will prove your age alright.
But soon they’ll realise, that’s not working as they thought and so the charge is introduced, the reasoning being the parents would notice a charge on their “stolen” card and punish the kid.
But then the grubby mint would figure if something is being charged they they can tax it. Its at this point they no longer care about the kids at all.
Gather we will all have to provide official age verification docs – driver’s licence passports or the like. Obvious questions re personal data security. They are going to trial something or other next year.
Given all the data leaks etc etc I’m not going to do that be surprised if many would. So I guess it’s a way of effectively banning social media for nearly all of us( which could be the idea – though it’s more likely that they simply have no idea)