Denmark's Government Aims To Ban Access To Social Media For Children Under 15 (apnews.com) 35
An anonymous reader quotes a report from the Associated Press: Denmark's government on Friday announced an agreement to ban access to social media for anyone under 15, ratcheting up pressure on Big Tech platforms as concerns grow that kids are getting too swept up in a digitized world of harmful content and commercial interests. The move would give some parents -- after a specific assessment -- the right to let their children access social media from age 13.
It wasn't immediately clear how such a ban would be enforced: Many tech platforms already restrict pre-teens from signing up. Officials and experts say such restrictions don't always work. Such a measure would be among the most sweeping steps yet by a European Union government to limit use of social media among teens and younger children, which has drawn concerns in many parts of an increasingly online world. "We've given the tech giants so many chances to stand up and to do something about what is happening on their platforms. They haven't done it," said Caroline Stage, Denmark's minister for digital affairs. "So now we will take over the steering wheel and make sure that our children's futures are safe."
"I can assure you that Denmark will hurry, but we won't do it too quickly because we need to make sure that the regulation is right and that there is no loopholes for the tech giants to go through," Stage said.
It wasn't immediately clear how such a ban would be enforced: Many tech platforms already restrict pre-teens from signing up. Officials and experts say such restrictions don't always work. Such a measure would be among the most sweeping steps yet by a European Union government to limit use of social media among teens and younger children, which has drawn concerns in many parts of an increasingly online world. "We've given the tech giants so many chances to stand up and to do something about what is happening on their platforms. They haven't done it," said Caroline Stage, Denmark's minister for digital affairs. "So now we will take over the steering wheel and make sure that our children's futures are safe."
"I can assure you that Denmark will hurry, but we won't do it too quickly because we need to make sure that the regulation is right and that there is no loopholes for the tech giants to go through," Stage said.
Re: Danish government thinks its citizens are moro (Score:2)
And in terms of the median they're not wrong...
The problem is the government folks assume they are the exception to the rule
But we are certain that AC is a moron (Score:2)
'nuff said.
Its (Score:3)
Just as well that kids under 15 don't know how to use VPNs
It's really about (Score:2, Flamebait)
- Preventing girls from having negative self opinions, anxiety and depression (refer articles on Facebook studies on the negative effects of social media)
- Boys getting any information contrary to the GDP increasing and population increasing - "chase -> date -> date -> consume to self-improve -> spend to impress -> marry -> take on large debts for housing -> have many children so that they become future taxpayers"
For the boys, it is any message that is not aligned with liberal politics
Re: (Score:3)
How to guess age without demanding ID (Score:1)
It's a hard, if not impossible problem to solve for 100% of people 100% of the time.
On the other hand, if society is willing to live with "you will probably have to show ID if you seem anywhere close to the age limit" then the problem becomes a lot easier.
If the age limit is 12 and you have a 4-digit Slashdot ID, it's pretty safe to say either you are over 12 or the ID wasn't yours when it was created.
Likewise, if your overall "user behavior" is has been consistent with that of someone well over 25 for seve
Re: (Score:2)
The whole point of these "age limits" is to force people to accept digital ID. This is why we're seeing a coordinated push all over the world.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
American society has tolerated absolutely dumb laws around alcohol for, well, centuries. Exhibit A, Prohibition.
NYC has taken this to an even more absurd level, by legally requiring carding everyone. Including clearly-80-year-olds. A friend working as a waitress was arrested after not carding a 50-something looking undercover cop during an enforcement action.
We don't have a problem with laws, we have a problem with society accepting of absurd laws.
Re: How to guess age without demanding ID (Score:2)
Was the cop in a backwards baseball cap carrying a skateboard and asking "fellow youths" where to get drinks?
Re: How to guess age without demanding ID (Score:3)
"The age limit for buying beer and wine in Denmark is 16 years in shops"
"It is socially acceptable for parents to allow their children to drink alcohol at home. "
Can I report that as a kid growing up in Paris, my Mom would send me to the store to pick up beer for her parties and I was never "carded" despite being 12 or 13?
Re: How to guess age without demanding ID (Score:2)
What if I drank a sip or glass of wine at dinner occasionally, and never felt the need to binge drink as a result?
Re: (Score:3)
What if I drank a sip or glass of wine at dinner occasionally, and never felt the need to binge drink as a result?
Anti-alcohol purists have a limit of 0 alcohol imbibed - ever.
I had watered wine and shot glasses of beer as a kid, at family gatherings. A wee bit of Chianti with my spagett. As an adult, I drink a lot less than people who were sat on by the US system. Little bits of alcohol for kids is one thing the Europeans have over us.
Re: (Score:2)
"The age limit for buying beer and wine in Denmark is 16 years in shops"
"It is socially acceptable for parents to allow their children to drink alcohol at home. "
Can I report that as a kid growing up in Paris, my Mom would send me to the store to pick up beer for her parties and I was never "carded" despite being 12 or 13?
My family, on one side was eastern European, the other Italian, would give us kids watered wine, or beer. Not a whole lot, but we knew what it was.
Two things - none of us drank to excess as adults. Seems to be a thems for most kids I know who were raised that way.
Contrast that with the way I see so many American families do. Treating any alcohol use at all for people under 21 as a mortal illegal sin, and you suddenly become an adult when you are drinking, in my college town, there are so many young pe
Backdoor internet "driving" license (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
While I fully agree that social media is toxic to children, this law is intended to force adults to show identification (and lose all anonymity) to simply use internet. This is done to make dissent and criticism of government harder.
I find it amusing that the most iconic purpose behind social media was basically "let grandma on the East coast interact with her grandkid on the West coast".
You gotta pump those numbers up (Score:2)
Re: You gotta pump those numbers up (Score:2)
Why does the link you draw between AI slop and "cause harm" remind me of the arguments that video games cause violence and porn causes rape?
Why does the government get to decide? (Score:2, Interesting)
It says people have to apply to be allowed to parent their own children.
Access to social media should always be up to the parents.
Re: (Score:3)
Social media is no different. They aim to get kids hooked and reliant on their services because it's much easi
Re: Why does the government get to decide? (Score:2)
If cigarette regulations worked how come I regularly pick up so many cigarette butts at campsites?
Re: (Score:2)
And everywhere else on Earth.
There should be a $1 deposit on a cigarette. You get your deposit back when you return the butt portion to an authorized return center.
Either people keep that shit to themselves, or someone else gets paid for cleaning up after them.
Re: (Score:2)
When something... (Score:2)
When something is banned, or made forbidden for the young, then the younger generation want it more.
The classic law of opposites, say its good for you, kids loathe it, say don't do kids want to do it. Thus Denmark is going to create a surge of interest in social media for the 15-year old and under demographic.
When Dungeons and Dragons was forbidden in high school in the 1980s, suddenly all the kids wanted to play. :)
Example...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
JoshK.
Re: (Score:2)
When something is banned, or made forbidden for the young, then the younger generation want it more.
This - a million times this. For my own part, I was raised with little sips of wine or beer as a child. No big deal. Our families allowed it. None of us kids went on to drink much as adults.
Smoking. At 13, I started smoking because it was ciool to do, forbidden, and made me think I was both rebelling and being an adult at the same time. Fortunately, I saw the error of my ways after a couple years.
But the forbidden aspect of smoking was what drew me to it.
sounds sensible to me (Score:2)
See "Subject: " line.