The Australian government is currently discussing a proposal that would only allow children and young people over a certain minimum age to access social media. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese attacked According to an ABC report Age limit between 14 to 16 years.
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Albanese has described the impact of social networks on children as a “crisis” and stressed the need to give young people a childhood free from the potentially harmful effects of platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. “We know that social media causes social harm and keeps children away from real friends and real experiences,” the prime minister says. He wants children to spend less time on the phone and more time on the football field.
Solingen: Police should use facial and voice recognition onlineA possible law is expected to be introduced in parliament this year. The exact age limit has not yet been determined. How to control it is also unclear. The Australian government is currently investigating various technical options to effectively control the age of users.
Strict approach and age limits
In late August, an Australian was sentenced to 17 years in prison for blackmailing victims from 20 different countries. Using so-called “sextortion” (a form of the English words “sex” and “extortion”), he blackmailed his victims into sending him intimate photos and videos. The case reflects the determination of the Australian justice system to take action against cybercrimes. Such cases also highlight the far-reaching consequences that disclosing personal and sensitive information on social networks can have on victims.
In Germany, too, calls for age restrictions for social media and TikTok in particular are growing rapidly. Last week, Federal Drug Commissioner Burkhardt Bienert (SPD) called for TikTok to be blocked for all young internet users. Such age restrictions are intended to protect against potential dangers from social media, especially children under the age of twelve. “Only then can young people better assess how they can use social media sensibly, what is good for them and what is not,” says Bienert.
The technical implementation of such a block remains questionable, as TikTok would have to develop reliable verification methods, including the use of ID documents or other biometric data. In addition, such a block can be easily circumvented through other countries, for example using a VPN connection.
First initiatives in South Australia
The state of South Australia already has an initiativeWhich tracks limited social media use. There, access to social networks is only allowed from the age of 14 and children between 14 and 15 require parental permission. South Australia Governor Peter Malinauskas compared the need to regulate social media to the ban on cigarettes and alcohol, especially when these products can harm children. How exactly parental consent should be checked is also unclear here.
Prime Minister Albanese says that the safety and mental and physical health of young people must be the top priority. He therefore also sees platform operators as having a (social) responsibility and calls on them to stand up for it: “Enough is enough”.
(VAT)
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