Title: An Actual Solution to the Social Media Ban
Date: 2025-09-16 20:00
Modified: 2025-09-17 20:00
Category: Politics
Tags: politics, social meda, tech policy
Slug: actual-social-media-solution
Authors: Andrew Ridgway
Summary: The Social Media ban is an abject failure of policy. I propose an actual technical solution that addresses the issues raised by the legislation and also ensures user privacy and data security through an opt in solution.

## The Toothless Legislation

The Australian Government recently announced it would be “watering down” the requirements of the upcoming legislation regarding online safety. The irony isn’t lost on anyone observing the situation. Specifically, the planned mandatory minimum “flag rate” for underage detection technology has been dropped – a clear indication that initial testing proved unachievable. Furthermore, the legislation now only requires tech companies to demonstrate “reasonable steps” to remove children from their platforms.

Let’s be frank: this legislation, as it stands, achieves very little. Experts in the field consistently warned that the proposed age verification approach was flawed and ignored industry input. The result? Parents are arguably in a worse position than before. The focus on punitive measures, rather than practical solutions, has been a misstep, and the relentless pursuit of this agenda by the eSafety Commissioner feels increasingly disconnected from reality.

It’s important to state that criticism of this legislation isn’t an endorsement of big tech, in fact I’m actively working to reduce my own reliance on these platforms. It is about the Australian Government overreaching in an area where it lacks the necessary expertise and, frankly, the authority. The driving force behind this appears to be a personal vendetta, fuelled by someone unfamiliar with the fundamental principles of how the internet operates.

So, with the current legislation effectively neutered, what *can* the government do to genuinely help parents navigate the challenges of online safety? I believe there’s a technically feasible solution that doesn’t involve trampling on privacy or creating massive security vulnerabilities.

The answer lies in a system we’ve been using for decades: the Domain Name System (DNS). Simply put, DNS translates human-readable URLs like [https://blog.aridgwayweb.com](https://blog.aridgwayweb.com) into the corresponding IP address (e.g., x.x.x.x). It’s a foundational component of the internet, and while seemingly simple, it’s incredibly powerful.

## What is DNS?

Most people rely on the DNS provided by their Internet Service Provider (ISP) or the manufacturer of their router. However, it’s possible to change this setting. Popular alternatives include Cloudflare’s 1.1.1.1, Google’s 8.8.8.8, and paid family-friendly options like OpenDNS. For those with more technical expertise, it’s even possible to run your own DNS server – I personally use Pi-hole to block ads at the network level.

This existing infrastructure offers a unique opportunity. The Chinese government has long leveraged DNS as part of its “Great Firewall,” demonstrating its capability for large-scale internet censorship and control. While that application raises obvious concerns, the underlying technology itself isn’t inherently malicious and is a good fit for the purposes of *opt in* age verification.

<img alt="Current DNS" height="auto" width="100%" src="{attach}/images/dns_currently.png">

## How can we leverage DNS for age verification?

My proposal is straightforward: the Australian Government could establish a large-scale DNS server within the Communications Department. This server could be configured to redirect requests to specific websites – like Facebook or TikTok – to an internal service that requires some form of authentication or identity verification. Once verified, the request would then be forwarded to the correct IP address.

<img alt="Optional Government DNS" height="auto" width="100%" src="{attach}/images/optional_gov_dns.png">

This DNS server could be *optionally* configured on any router, with ISPs assisting less technically inclined customers. The result? Access to certain websites from that router would require passing through the government’s age verification process.

The authentication could be managed by an adult in the household, providing a valid identity document to receive some form of auth mechanism (password? passkey? authenticator?) to allow the user to continue to their 'restricted' website.

Mobile phones could also have the internal DNS updated by manufacturers to incorporate this DNS setting.

This would allow for the creation of “Government-certified” or “Family-Friendly” devices – routers or phones pre-configured with this DNS server – ensuring a consistent level of online safety as defined by the Australian Government. These devices could be subsidised by the government to ensure accessibility for all families.

Crucially, this system is optional. Individuals who prefer to manage their own online security – as I do – would remain unaffected. However, for parents who lack the technical skills or desire to implement their own solutions, this offers a practical and effective alternative to managing their child’s online safety.

This approach also avoids the need to collect and store sensitive identity data offshore. No tech company needs to be involved in the verification process, and the skills to build and maintain this system already exist within the Australian public service.

Furthermore, the eSafety Commissioner could easily update the list of websites subject to verification, providing a flexible and responsive system. It wouldn’t cover the entire internet, of course, but it would provide a valuable safety net for those who need it.

## Where to from here?

Now that the government has acknowledged the shortcomings of its initial approach, it’s time to explore real solutions. A government-run, family-friendly DNS system that routes certain domain names to a verification process is a solid starting point for a genuinely effective technical solution to help families navigate the online world.
