Politicians say they can make social media less ‘addictive’. Experts aren’t so sure
5 months, 4 weeks ago

Politicians say they can make social media less ‘addictive’. Experts aren’t so sure

BBC  

Politicians say they can make social media less ‘addictive’. Experts aren’t so sure Getty Images New York just passed a law on "addictive" social media feeds for children, but some researchers are questioning what that actually means. "Young people across the nation are facing a mental health crisis fuelled by addictive social media feeds." The Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation for Kids Act requires social media platforms and app stores seek parental consent before children under 18 use apps with "addictive feeds", a groundbreaking attempt to regulate algorithmic recommendations. "While New York's legislation is much broader and less targeted on concrete harms than the UK's Online Safety Act, it's clear that regulation is the only way that big tech will clean up its algorithms and stop children being recommended huge amounts of harmful suicide and self-harm content," says Andy Burrows, an advisor at the Molly Rose Foundation, set up by the parents of Molly Russell, a UK teenager who killed herself in 2017 after seeing a series of self-harm images on social media – a contributing factor to her death, according to a landmark ruling in 2022 by a London coroner.

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History of this topic

Dutch MP will propose banning children under 15 from using social media
1 week ago

Dutch MP will propose banning children under 15 from using social media

NL Times  

Dutch political party D66 is advocating for a minimum age of 15 for social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat. “Tech giants are harming children’s health because social media is deliberately designed to be addictive,” said D66 parliamentarian Hanneke van der Werf, according to RTL." “The Netherlands doesn’t let cigarette manufacturers determine and enforce age restrictions,” Van der …

California bill would require mental health warnings on social media sites
1 week, 6 days ago

California bill would require mental health warnings on social media sites

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy California, home to some of …

California to consider requiring mental health warnings on social media sites
2 weeks ago

California to consider requiring mental health warnings on social media sites

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California, home to some of the largest technology companies in the world, would be the first U.S. state to require mental health warning labels on social media sites if lawmakers pass a bill introduced Monday. “The promise of social media, although real, has turned into a situation where they’re turning our children’s attention into a commodity,” Assemblymember …

Australia is banning social media for people under 16. Could this work elsewhere — or even there?
2 weeks, 5 days ago

Australia is banning social media for people under 16. Could this work elsewhere — or even there?

Associated Press  

It is an ambitious social experiment of our moment in history — one that experts say could accomplish something that parents, schools and other governments have attempted with varying degrees of success: keeping kids off social media until they turn 16. “It’s clear that social media companies have to be held accountable, which is what Australia is trying to do,” …

Australia's PM says he is 'ready to engage' with Musk on social media ban for teens amid backlash
Top News
3 weeks, 2 days ago

Australia's PM says he is 'ready to engage' with Musk on social media ban for teens amid backlash

Firstpost  

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hailed the parliament’s Thursday passage of landmark legislation requiring social media firms to take “reasonable steps” to prevent young teens from having accounts Australia’s prime minister said Sunday he was ready to “engage” with billionaire X owner Elon Musk over his criticism of the government’s ban on under-16s joining social media. Anthony Albanese hailed the …

How will social media ban be implemented?
3 weeks, 3 days ago

How will social media ban be implemented?

ABC  

Rachel Mealey: Well after a busy week in Canberra, the nation's federal politicians are returning to their electorates for the summer break ahead of next year's looming election. Among them was the government's headline-making social media ban for under 16s. Now that the social media ban bill has passed, the social media platforms have 12 months to work out how …

Australia BANS social media for kids under 16: A global first in online safety
3 weeks, 4 days ago

Australia BANS social media for kids under 16: A global first in online safety

India TV News  

Australia has become the first country to ban children under the age of 16 from accessing social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat. The rule aims to address the rising concerns about the mental health risks which are associated with excessive social media usage, which further includes addiction, cyberbullying and exposure to harmful content. Image Source : FILESocial …

Australia Bans Social Media for Anyone Under 16
3 weeks, 4 days ago

Australia Bans Social Media for Anyone Under 16

Bloomberg  

00:00 PETER JOINS US NOW, YOU HEAD UP OUR TEAM IN ASIA AND ACROSS THE WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY. PETER: WE HAVE SEEN GOVERNMENTS AROUND THE REAL STRUGGLE WITH THIS QUESTION, HOW MUCH ACCESS SHOULD MINORS HAVE TO SOCIAL MEDIA AND OTHER KINDS OF TECHNOLOGIES. CHINA, BECAUSE THEY HAVE MORE CENTRALIZED CONTROL OVER THESE THINGS, LIMITED HOW MUCH TIME KIDS COULD …

Australia lawmakers pass landmark social-media ban for under-16s
3 weeks, 4 days ago

Australia lawmakers pass landmark social-media ban for under-16s

Live Mint  

Australia is set to become the first country to ban social media use by under-16s after the country’s Senate overwhelmingly voted in favor of strict new legislation. “Social media is doing harm to our children and I’m calling time on it," Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said when the bill was introduced to Parliament earlier this month. The legislation marks …

Tech companies put on notice as Australia passes world-first social media ban for under-16s
3 weeks, 5 days ago

Tech companies put on notice as Australia passes world-first social media ban for under-16s

CNN  

Brisbane, Australia CNN — Australia’s parliament has passed a world-first law banning social media for children under 16, putting tech companies on notice to tighten security before a cut-off date that’s yet to be set. Under the new law, tech companies must take “reasonable steps” to prevent under-age users from accessing social media services or face fines of nearly 50 …

A social media ban in Australia for children under 16 will be first in the world
Top News
3 weeks, 5 days ago

A social media ban in Australia for children under 16 will be first in the world

NPR  

A social media ban in Australia for children under 16 will be first in the world toggle caption Rick Rycroft/AP MELBOURNE, Australia — A social media ban for children under 16 passed the Australian Senate Thursday and will soon become a world-first law. Sen. David Shoebridge, from the minority Greens party, said mental health experts agreed that the ban could …

Australia bans social media for children under 16, first country to do so
3 weeks, 5 days ago

Australia bans social media for children under 16, first country to do so

India Today  

Australia on Thursday passed into law a social media ban for children aged under 16 after an emotive debate that gripped the nation, setting a benchmark for jurisdictions around the world with one of the toughest regulations targeting Big Tech. Against the backdrop of a parliamentary inquiry through 2024 which heard evidence from parents of children who had self-harmed due …

Tech companies put on notice as Australia passes world-first social media ban for under-16s
3 weeks, 5 days ago

Tech companies put on notice as Australia passes world-first social media ban for under-16s

CNN  

Brisbane, Australia CNN — Australia’s parliament has passed a world-first law banning social media for children under 16, putting tech companies on notice to tighten security before a cut-off date that’s yet to be set. Under the new law, tech companies must take “reasonable steps” to prevent under-age users from accessing social media services or face fines of nearly 50 …

The Australian Senate debates the world’s first social media ban for children under 16
Top News
3 weeks, 5 days ago

The Australian Senate debates the world’s first social media ban for children under 16

Associated Press  

MELBOURNE, Australia — The Australian Senate was debating a ban on children younger than 16 years old from social media Thursday after the House of Representatives overwhelmingly supported the age restriction. “The core focus of this legislation is simple: It demands that social media companies take reasonable steps to identify and remove underage users from their platforms,” Kovacic told the …

‘Even if law helps in just smallest of ways…’: Australia passes bill to ban young children from social media
Trending News
3 weeks, 5 days ago

‘Even if law helps in just smallest of ways…’: Australia passes bill to ban young children from social media

Live Mint  

Australia's House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a bill that would ban children younger than 16 years old from social media, leaving it to the Senate to finalise the world-first law. Critics also argue the ban would isolate children, deprive them of positive aspects of social media, drive children to the dark web, make children too young for social media …

Australia moves step closer to world-first social media ban for under-16s
Top News
3 weeks, 6 days ago

Australia moves step closer to world-first social media ban for under-16s

Al Jazeera  

The House of Representatives votes overwhelmingly to pass legislation targeting platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. Australia’s lower house of parliament has voted overwhelmingly to pass a landmark bill banning the use of social media by children under 16. Opposition lawmaker Dan Tehan said the government had agreed to amendments made in the Senate that would bolster privacy protections for …

Growing social media app vows to shake up ‘toxic’ status quo
1 month ago

Growing social media app vows to shake up ‘toxic’ status quo

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. They've cleverly addicted us to our own egos Zoe Kalar, WeAre8 founder Zoe Kalar, the app’s founder, …

Is a “digital duty of care” enough to protect young people from social media’s harms?
1 month ago

Is a “digital duty of care” enough to protect young people from social media’s harms?

ABC  

Since the start of November, the Australian government has made two significant announcements aimed at addressing the harms that social media platforms are causing to the mental health of adolescents: that it will legislate a minimum age of 16 for access to social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X; that it will legislate a minimum age of 16 …

Opinions divided over Australia's social media ban move
Trending News
1 month ago

Opinions divided over Australia's social media ban move

China Daily  

The impact of social media on the well-being and mental health of children has been thoroughly documented for more than a decade. The Australian government is pushing ahead with legislation that will ban all children under the age of 16 from social media platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, Instagram and X — even with parental consent. "This may mean that …

Opinions divided over Australia's social media ban move
1 month ago

Opinions divided over Australia's social media ban move

China Daily  

FILE PHOTO: A TikTok logo is displayed on a smartphone in this illustration taken January 6, 2020. The Australian government is pushing ahead with legislation that will ban all children under the age of 16 from social media platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, Instagram and X — even with parental consent. "This may mean that they access social media without …

Opinions divided over Australia's social media ban move
1 month ago

Opinions divided over Australia's social media ban move

China Daily  

FILE PHOTO: A TikTok logo is displayed on a smartphone in this illustration taken January 6, 2020. The Australian government is pushing ahead with legislation that will ban all children under the age of 16 from social media platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, Instagram and X — even with parental consent. "This may mean that they access social media without …

Australia’s plan to ban children from social media proves popular and problematic
1 month, 1 week ago

Australia’s plan to ban children from social media proves popular and problematic

Associated Press  

MELBOURNE, Australia — How do you protect children from the harms of social media? The Australian government’s plan to ban children from social media platforms including X, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram until their 16th birthdays is politically popular. More than 140 such experts signed an open letter to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemning the 16-year age limit as “too blunt …

Australia will require social media platforms to act to prevent online harm to users
1 month, 1 week ago

Australia will require social media platforms to act to prevent online harm to users

NPR  

Australia will require social media platforms to act to prevent online harm to users toggle caption Rick Rycroft/AP MELBOURNE, Australia — Australia plans to require social media platforms to act to prevent online harms to users such as bullying, predatory behavior and algorithms pushing destructive content, the government said Thursday. "The Digital Duty of Care will place the onus on …

Social media 'duty of care' laws would force online giants to take preventative action on mental health harms
1 month, 1 week ago

Social media 'duty of care' laws would force online giants to take preventative action on mental health harms

ABC  

Social media companies would be required to take proactive steps to keep Australians safe online under a federal government plan to legislate a "Digital Duty of Care". Strong penalties for companies that fail to take preventative action The new duty would be in addition to the government's move to ban children and teens younger than 16 from using social media, …

Why banning social media isn’t the answer
1 month, 1 week ago

Why banning social media isn’t the answer

ABC  

Sam Hawley: The government wants to ban under-16s from social media. Today, we're going to talk about the government's decision to ban under-16s from social media. News story: The minimum age would also not be grandfathered, meaning young people on social media now will be banned when the law takes effect, even if their parents are OK with it. Sam …

'Doing harm to our kids': Australia proposes ban on social media for those below 16 years
Top News
1 month, 2 weeks ago

'Doing harm to our kids': Australia proposes ban on social media for those below 16 years

Firstpost  

Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Thursday that his government would legislate for a ban on social media for children under 16. The platforms to be impacted would include Meta’s Instagram and Facebook, Elon Musk’s X and TikTok Australia speeding up to introduce laws to ban children under the age of 16 from accessing social media. Children in Australia …

Australia bans social media use for children below 16; know harmful effects of social media, tips to prevent overuse
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Australia bans social media use for children below 16; know harmful effects of social media, tips to prevent overuse

Hindustan Times  

The Australian Government, on Thursday, announced that the age limit for children to start using social media is 16. According to a report by Associated Press, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pointed out the harmful impact of social media on children. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pointed out the harmful impact of social media on children. Harmful effects of social media on …

Australia proposes social media ban for children under the age of 16
Top News
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Australia proposes social media ban for children under the age of 16

NPR  

Australia proposes social media ban for children under the age of 16 toggle caption MICK TSIKAS/AAP MELBOURNE, Australia — The Australian government announced on Thursday what it described as world-leading legislation that would institute an age limit of 16 years for children to start using social media, and hold platforms responsible for ensuring compliance. Sponsor Message The Digital Industry Group …

Federal government's looming social media ban may be bad for isolated, marginalised teenagers
2 months ago

Federal government's looming social media ban may be bad for isolated, marginalised teenagers

ABC  

Australia will be the first in the world to ban social media for kids if the federal government goes ahead with its proposal to tighten restrictions by the end of the year. Support for young people and families The Butterfly Foundation: National helpline 1800 ED HOPE, 8am-midnight, 7 days a week ReachOut Australia: Confidential online peer support for young people …

Platforms, not parents, to be responsible for social media age limit, but penalties as yet undecided
2 months, 1 week ago

Platforms, not parents, to be responsible for social media age limit, but penalties as yet undecided

ABC  

Social media platforms will bear the onus of enforcing the federal government's age limit, not parents, the communications minister has confirmed. Michelle Rowland told the ABC's News Breakfast on Friday the government's age limit "trial," a fact-finding mission to understand the capabilities of platforms in this space, has shown that they "have the capacity to do more and they should …

Teens already on social media could be exempt from a ban under an option canvassed by Anthony Albanese
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Teens already on social media could be exempt from a ban under an option canvassed by Anthony Albanese

ABC  

Teenagers who are already on social media could be allowed to keep their accounts under the ban promised by the federal government. Mr Albanese wrote to premiers and chief ministers asking for assistance on setting up a minimum age to use social media, including any evidence they may have on what age the ban should lift. The SA's examination of …

Teen social media use: Why banning isn’t the answer
2 months, 3 weeks ago

Teen social media use: Why banning isn’t the answer

Hindustan Times  

The debate around whether we should ban access to social media for teenagers aged 13 to 16 has gained significant attention. Social media is a significant part of modern communication, and teens need to develop digital literacy skills, including how to recognise misinformation, avoid dangerous interactions, and use the platforms in a healthy way. Rather than an outright ban, a …

Social media platforms engaged in ‘vast surveillance’ and failed to protect young people, FTC finds
3 months ago

Social media platforms engaged in ‘vast surveillance’ and failed to protect young people, FTC finds

LA Times  

Social media apps and video streaming services are still facing scrutiny from U.S. regulators over youth safety and privacy concerns. Major social media platforms and video streaming services that gather a “staggering” amount of data from their users have failed to protect young people and safeguard online privacy, the Federal Trade Commission said Thursday. “These surveillance practices can endanger people’s …

Online gaming sites would need to prove they are 'a force for good' to be exempt from SA's social media ban
3 months, 1 week ago

Online gaming sites would need to prove they are 'a force for good' to be exempt from SA's social media ban

ABC  

After struggling to form new friendships in high school during the pandemic, Lee Ann Phie found a supportive community through online video gaming. What we know about the promise to ban children from social media Photo shows Picture of a smartphone screen with apps including facebook, instagram and youtube A social media ban that could capture the most popular video …

Australia: Ahead Of Polls Next Year, Anthony Albanese And Peter Dutton Push For Social Media Ban For Kids
3 months, 1 week ago

Australia: Ahead Of Polls Next Year, Anthony Albanese And Peter Dutton Push For Social Media Ban For Kids

ABP News  

The Australian government led by PM Anthony Albanese plans to introduce a new legislation aimed at prohibiting children from using social media platforms, citing concerns over their physical and mental well-being. The draft legislation would compel social media companies to implement technological safeguards to prevent children within the restricted age group from accessing their platforms. We will collaborate closely with …

YouTube, TikTok and Meta are all in the firing line for children to be banned from their platforms. Here's what we know
3 months, 2 weeks ago

YouTube, TikTok and Meta are all in the firing line for children to be banned from their platforms. Here's what we know

ABC  

Children are growing up with access to endless streams of content — posts from friends and family, mindless but harmless entertainment, as well as posts from extremist influencers, pornography, violent videos, and other material with the potential to cause great harm. Anthony Albanese vows to introduce legislation to ban children from accessing social media by the end of this year …

Social media companies to face fines for allowing children under 14 on their platforms under proposed SA laws
3 months, 2 weeks ago

Social media companies to face fines for allowing children under 14 on their platforms under proposed SA laws

ABC  

Social media giants would be forced to ban children under the age of 14 from their platforms or face hefty penalties, under proposed laws in South Australia that could be replicated in other states. SA Premier Peter Malinauskas said the proposal was fuelled by concerns social media was harming young people and affecting their mental health, leaving parents "almost powerless". …

DC Edit | Govts, leave social media alone
3 months, 3 weeks ago

DC Edit | Govts, leave social media alone

Deccan Chronicle  

What can governments do about social media platforms? Amid a developing scenario in which both free-speech advocates and authoritarian governments are protesting the treatment being meted out to the CEO of Telegram who is facing the rigour of the law in France, the Uttar Pradesh government has taken an unusual stand to use the social media for boosting its popularity …

Canada man sues social media giants YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, for being too addictive, causing negative body image
4 months, 1 week ago

Canada man sues social media giants YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, for being too addictive, causing negative body image

Hindustan Times  

A 24 year old man from Montreal, Canada, is launching a class-action lawsuit against social media companies like TikTok, YouTube, Reddit, Instagram, and Facebook for being “too addictive.” Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram apps are seen on a smartphone in this illustration taken, July 13, 2021. The man started using social media in 2015, due to which, he claimed …

New York moves to limit ‘addictive’ social media feeds for kids
6 months ago

New York moves to limit ‘addictive’ social media feeds for kids

Associated Press  

Kathy Hochul on Thursday signed a bill that would allow parents to block their children from getting social media posts suggested by a platform’s algorithm, a move to limit feeds critics argue are addictive. “New York has created a way for the government to track what sites people visit and their online activity by forcing websites to censor all content …

The Surgeon General Proposed Warning Labels On Social Media. Will They Do Anything?
6 months ago

The Surgeon General Proposed Warning Labels On Social Media. Will They Do Anything?

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING A source recently let me know that the responses to an article I had written were a bit mean-spirited. In a New York Times essay published June 17, Murthy wrote, “The mental health crisis among young people is an emergency — and social media has emerged as an important contributor.” In the Youth Risk Behavior Survey published …

Is Australia a nation of tech sceptics? Inside Meta's AI plans, social media warning labels for teens and decoding the whale alphabet
6 months ago

Is Australia a nation of tech sceptics? Inside Meta's AI plans, social media warning labels for teens and decoding the whale alphabet

ABC  

Hello and welcome to Screenshot, your weekly tech update from national technology reporter Ange Lavoipierre, featuring the best, worst and strangest in tech and online news. "It probably will decrease in the next few years," Professor Park predicted, with more people choosing TikTok as their social media platform for news consumption — a trend that's already playing out in other …

Keeping children safe on social media: What parents should know to protect their kids
6 months ago

Keeping children safe on social media: What parents should know to protect their kids

Associated Press  

At what age should kids be on social media? For years, there has been a push among parents, educators and tech experts to wait to give children phones — and access to social media — until they are older, such as the “Wait Until 8th” pledge that has parents sign a pledge not to give their kids a smartphone until …

US surgeon general calls for warning labels on social media platforms
6 months, 1 week ago

US surgeon general calls for warning labels on social media platforms

Al Jazeera  

The United States surgeon general has called on Congress to require social media platforms to carry warning labels on their effects on young people’s lives, similar to those now mandatory on cigarette boxes. “It is time to require a surgeon general’s warning label on social media platforms, stating that social media is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents. …

The government puts warnings on tobacco and alcohol. Is social media next? : Consider This from NPR : NPR
6 months, 1 week ago

The government puts warnings on tobacco and alcohol. Is social media next? : Consider This from NPR : NPR

NPR  

'An unfair fight': The U.S. surgeon general declares war on social media Enlarge this image toggle caption doble-d/Getty doble-d/Getty Emma Lembke was 12 years old when many of her friends started using phones and social media. "Too much time on social media gets in the way of things that we know are good for kids, like getting a lot of …

New York moves to ban ‘addictive’ social media feeds for kids
6 months, 2 weeks ago

New York moves to ban ‘addictive’ social media feeds for kids

Associated Press  

ALBANY, N.Y. — The New York state Legislature on Friday passed a bill that would allow parents to block their kids from getting social media posts suggested by a platform’s algorithm — a regulation that tries to curtail feeds that critics argue are addicting to children. The move comes amid heightened concern about social media use among children and an …

Keeping children safe on social media: What parents should know to protect their kids
6 months, 2 weeks ago

Keeping children safe on social media: What parents should know to protect their kids

Associated Press  

At what age should kids be on social media? For years, there has been a push among parents, educators and tech experts to wait to give children phones — and access to social media — until they are older, such as the “Wait Until 8th” pledge that has parents sign a pledge not to give their kids a smartphone until …

Is kiddie ban on social media feasible?
7 months ago

Is kiddie ban on social media feasible?

Hindustan Times  

Mumbai: Is it time Indian regulators step in to regulate access to social media for young people? India, South Korea and Japan social media usage has shot through the roof Last month, the state of South Australia started pushing for a ban on access to social media for children under 14. US Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy recently articulated his …

The EU says Instagram and Facebook may be too addictive for children in fresh investigation, here's what we know
7 months, 1 week ago

The EU says Instagram and Facebook may be too addictive for children in fresh investigation, here's what we know

ABC  

The European Union is warning Facebook and Instagram may be too addictive as it launches an investigation into whether the platforms have breached the Digital Services Act in areas linked to the protection of minors. The European Union opened fresh investigations into Facebook and Instagram over suspicions that they're failing to protect children online, in violation of the bloc's strict …

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