The Australian government has committed to legislating a 16-year age limit for access to social media, with penalties for non-compliant online platforms.
But the Labor government has yet to say whether it expects Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and others to implement that age limit. Anthony Albanese is facing pressure from the opposition Coalition to rush the bill through parliament in the next three weeks, even though the government’s trial on the technology has yet to start.
Albanese and the minister of communications, Michelle Rowland, did not rule out the possibility of social media users having their faces subject to biometric scanning, so that online platforms can verify the age of users using a government database, or for all social media users – regardless what they say. years – to be subject to age tests, they only say that it will be technical companies to stop their processes.
Here is the full story. Remember this move, if used consistently, will remove anonymous submissions. It will also need to be used in a very large number of applications, even in Meta alone. Should everyone’s biometrics be entered into a potentially China-hackable form? And it means that the government – not parents – determines the appropriate level of access for children to social media.
Are social media’s biggest critics of this? Am I against it? Or are they less willing to say, one way or another?
Source link