Lessons from Australia's Social Media Ban: What the UK Can Learn

Introduction

Social media has become an integral part of our daily lives, especially for young people. But as concerns about the negative impact of social media on children continue to rise, governments around the world are taking action. Australia, Malaysia, and Spain have all implemented laws that restrict social media use for those under 16. And now, it seems that the UK may be following suit.

As part of their efforts to protect young people from digital harms and uphold their pledge to stop violence against women and girls, the UK government is considering a complete ban on social media for children. This move has been inspired by Australia's Online Safety Act (OSA), which prohibits those under 16 from using certain social media platforms. But what can the UK learn from Australia's experience with this ban? In this blog, we'll explore the potential implications and lessons that the UK can take away from Australia's social media ban.

The Source:

This article was originally published on UKTN, a leading source for news and insights on UK's tech and startup scene. For the original article, click here.

Talks of a ban have been circulating for a while, and this month saw the clearest sign yet that the UK may be heading towards an Australia-style ban on social media for children.

In a blog post, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer outlined his and the government's intentions to go further in protecting children from harmful online content. This was partly sparked by the revelation that a chatbot was being used on Elon Musk's X to create explicit deepfakes of non-consenting victims.

But what exactly can the UK expect if they implement a similar ban? To answer this question, we spoke with experts from Australia's digital safety and identity verification industry to gain insights and lessons from their experience.

The Impact of the Ban:

According to Yasmin London, a director at Perth-based tech company Qoria, the ban has had a "noticeable" but not yet transformative impact. She noted that while there has been a reduction in under-16 usage on some mainstream platforms, there has also been a clear migration to alternative platforms not covered by the ban. This raises concerns about the safety and effectiveness of these platforms, as they may not have proper moderation in place.

Furthermore, the ban has created a "mixed picture" in terms of use on platforms that are covered. While some young people are spending less time on these platforms, others have reported feeling excluded and experiencing social friction when their peers continue to access the platforms through workarounds or flawed age verification technology.

Challenges with Age Verification:

One of the biggest challenges with the ban has been age verification. With no clear standards in place across all social media platforms, some have simple checks that can be falsified, while others attempt to detect underage users based on their profiles. This leaves some accounts completely unaffected. To address this issue, companies like Yoti have developed facial recognition age estimations that claim to be among the most accurate in the world. However, according to Yoti's chief executive, Robin Tombs, the effectiveness of these measures will depend on the selection and deployment of highly effective systems.

Response from Social Media Platforms:

While social media providers have been complying with Australia's legislation, their approach has been described as "not enthusiastic" by London. They support the objective of protecting young people but are navigating complex technical, commercial, and reputational considerations. There is also an issue with platforms contesting the definitions established by the policy. For example, Snapchat has tried to distance itself from the social media label and position itself as a communication platform.

Lessons for the UK:

As the UK considers implementing a ban on social media for children, there are important lessons to be learned from Australia's experience. Clear standards for age verification must be set, and definitions of areas covered by legislation must be firmly defined. Additionally, there should be a focus on strong digital literacy education for families, schools, and young people, as well as collaboration between governments, schools, parents, and safety technology companies.

The UK must ensure that they have effective mechanisms in place before implementing a ban to protect children from the potential harms of social media.

Source: https://www.uktech.news/news/lessons-from-australia-ahead-of-a-potential-uk-under-16s-social-media-ban-20211203