The UK’s New Under-16 Social Media Ban Will Cause More Harm Than It Prevents

How about the government makes the social medias less shit instead? They are harming not just children, they are harming everybody.

LSNLDN

slrpnk.net

They know, they don’t care, they’re just making money off of our data :(

IanTwenty

piefed.social

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fact-sheet-new-rules-to-protect-children-online/fact-sheet-new-rules-to-protect-children-online#what-is-changingand-whats-banned

We plan to use the same model for a social media ban as Australia. Their model included platforms like Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook and X.

BBC News - How does Australia's under-16 social media ban work? - BBC News https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwyp9d3ddqyo?app-referrer=deep-link

Ten platforms are currently included: Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube, Reddit and streaming platforms Kick and Twitch.

The government assesses potential sites against three main criteria:

whether the platform's sole or "significant purpose" is to enable online social interaction between two or more users;

whether it allows users to interact with some or all other users; and

whether it allows users to post material

Hmm. So affects the big platforms for now, but no guarantees it won't extend in future to the fediverse if children were to move there. More likely people will work around the age-gating if they can. I wonder how this is looking in Australia?

schnurrito reply

discuss.tchncs.de

I wonder how this is looking in Australia?

like this: https://www.techdirt.com/2026/03/20/australias-teen-social-media-ban-is-just-training-a-generation-in-the-art-of-the-workaround/

But of course, that's not the talking point I would want to focus on. It's a bad idea even if there were no workarounds and even if there were no privacy problems. I find it difficult to think of a more harmless, more fulfilling, less dangerous hobby for young people to have than to be on social media.