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Title: The Failing Social Media Ban
Date: 2025-06-19 20:00
Modified: 2025-06-20 20:00
Category: Politics
Tags: politics, social meda, tech policy
Slug: social-media-ban-fail
Authors: Andrew Ridgway
Summary: The Social Media ban is an abject failure of policy. Education and the use of the much better existing tools is the key
# The Failing Social Media Ban
## 🎯 The Goal: A Legal Framework to Protect Kids
The Australian government’s plan to ban social media for teens has sparked debate. While the intention is noble—protecting minors from online risks—it’s clear the technical and legal hurdles are massive. Instead of relying on “facial aging” or “Proof of Age” APIs, which are prone to privacy violations and data breaches, the government should focus on **legal accountability**. Parents deserve tools that let them make decisions about their children’s tech use without needing to hand over photos of their ID. The current approach is a “sunk cost” of bureaucracy. Instead of trying to outsource the problem to consultants, the government should **educate parents on the tools already available**.
The Australian government’s plan to ban social media for teens has sparked on going debate. While the intention is noble—protecting minors from online risks—it’s clear the technical and legal hurdles are massive. This government concept of relying on “facial aging” or “Proof of Age” APIs are prone to privacy violations and data breaches, the government should focus on **legal accountability**. Parents already have tools that let them make decisions about their children’s tech use without needing to hand over photos of their ID. The governments current approach is mired in bureaucracy and the tech world does not thrive in that environment. Instead of trying to outsource the problem to consultants, the government should **educate parents on the tools already available**.
## 🧩 The Problem: Tech Giants Won’t Do It
The government’s plan to use facial recognition or “age-based” filters is flawed from the start. These systems are expensive, unreliable, and not designed for the scale of a national rollout. Even if a company like Meta or Google could do it, they’d **never** do it for the same reason: **no money in the equation**. The only alternative is to **outsource to consultants**, but those consultants are **not equipped to handle the complexity**. The government’s plan is a “tech-savvy” joke—no one is going to build a system that’s 100% accurate, secure, and compliant with privacy laws.
The government’s plan to use facial recognition or “age-based” filters is flawed from the start. These systems are expensive, unreliable, and not designed for the scale of a national rollout. Even if a company like Meta or Google could do it, they’d **never** do it for the same reason: **no money in the equation**. The only alternative is to **outsource to consultants**, but those consultants are **not equipped to handle the complexity**. The government’s plan is a joke—no one is going to build a system that’s 100% accurate, secure, and compliant with privacy laws and those that *maybe* could have no insentive to
## 🛠️ The Tools Parents Already Have
Instead of waiting for the government to fix this, parents should be using the **tools already in their homes**. These tools are **free, secure, and effective**.
### 📱 Internet Control
Instead of expecting the government to fix this, parents should be using the **tools already in their homes**. These tools are **free, secure, and effective**. Some examples include (and I use in my own home):
* **Fritz Box Parental Controls** (https://en.fritz.com/service/knowledge-base/dok/FRITZ-Box-7530/8_Restricting-internet-use-with-the-FRITZ-Box-parental-controls/) - Allows blocking of websites and apps, setting time limits, and creating user profiles.
* **Microsoft Family Safety** (https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/microsoft-365/family-safety) - Provides screen time limits, content filters, and activity reporting.
@ -20,7 +27,7 @@ Instead of waiting for the government to fix this, parents should be using the *
* **Google Family Link** (https://families.google.com/familylink/) - Enables remote monitoring, app management, and location tracking for children's Android devices.
* **Apple Family Sharing** (https://support.apple.com/en-au/105121) - Allows sharing purchases, subscriptions, and location information with family members.
These tools let parents **block apps, limit screen time, and monitor online activity** without needing to share sensitive data.
These tools let parents **block apps, limit screen time, and monitor online activity** without needing to share sensitive data. They offer parents full control over what is available and are not dependant on some arbitrary list governed in legislation (which is in an of itself an indicator of how backwards this legislation is)
## 📚 The Real Solution: Education, Not Tech
@ -33,24 +40,16 @@ The government’s plan is a **mistake**. Instead of trying to build a new syste
* **Screen time limits**
* **Privacy controls**
These tools let parents **make decisions tailored to their children’s needs**. No one-size-fits-all approach.
These tools let parents **make decisions tailored to their children’s needs**. No one-size-fits-all approach. It gives parents autonomy over their online decision making whilst better respecting everyones privacy, including the childs.
## 🧩 Why the Government’s Plan Fails
The government’s plan is a **disaster**. It’s not about fixing the tech, it’s about **forcing a tech company to do something they won’t do**. The tools parents already have are **better, cheaper, and more secure**. The only way to make this work is for the government to **stop trying to outsource the problem** and **focus on the real solution: education and parental control**.
The government’s plan is a **disaster**. It’s not about fixing the problems of social media use in teens, it’s about giving the perception they are doing something about it using archaic methods and tools that don't go to the root cause. The tools parents already have are **better, cheaper, and more secure**. The only way to make this work is for the government to **stop trying to solve a social problem with tech** and **focus on the real solution: education and parental autonomy**.
## 📝 Summary: The Right Tools, Not the Tech
The government’s plan is a **sunk cost**. Instead of trying to build a system that’s 100% accurate and secure, parents should be using the **tools already in their homes**. These tools are **free, effective, and legally compliant**. They let parents **make decisions about their children’s tech use** without needing to hand over sensitive data.
The government’s plan is a dead monkey. Instead of trying to build a system that’s 100% accurate and secure, parents should be using the **tools already in their homes**. These tools are **free, effective, and preserve privacy**. They let parents **make decisions about their children’s tech use on a true case by case basis** without needing to hand over sensitive data.
## 🧩 Final Thoughts
The government’s plan is a **disaster**. It’s not about tech, it’s about **forcing a tech company to do something they won’t do**. Parents should be using the **tools already in their homes**. The real solution is not to wait for the government to fix this, but to **educate themselves on the tools that already exist**.
## 📝 Notes for Editors
* **Use bold** for key terms (e.g., “facial aging,” “Proof of Age”).
* **List tools** with brief explanations.
* **Highlight the contrast** between the government’s plan and the tools parents have.
* **Include links** to the tools for easy access.
* **Add a note** about the Australian context (e.g., the ABC article).
The government’s plan is a **disaster**. It’s not about fixing the problem with social media, it’s about creating the perception they are solving a problem that is already solved. Parents should be using the **tools already in their homes**. The real solution is not to expect a government to fix this, but to **educate themselves on the tools that already exist**. Until we accept that this is our responsbility the problem will continue propogate because the only place it can be fixed is in the home.