"Over the past year, more than two dozen countries around the world have proposed bans on social media use for vast swathes of their public. These laws, often proposed under the guise of child safety, are ushering in an era of mass surveillance and widespread censorship, contributing to what scholars have called a global free speech recession."
"While social media bans may seem like a prudent measure to protect children, they are not only ineffective, they endanger both children and adults. There is little evidence that social media is driving any type of widespread mental health crisis in children. Studies have repeatedly shown the opposite."
"Removing anonymity from the web, which will inevitably happen when tech companies are required to identify and ban children, allows for easier government tracking and censorship of journalists, activists and whistleblowers, who rely on online anonymity."
Over two dozen countries have proposed social media bans for minors, with Australia leading by restricting access for those under 16. Germany, France, the UK, Greece, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, and multiple US states have followed with similar legislation or age verification requirements. Tech companies like Meta, Google, and Discord are pre-complying with these laws. However, these bans are ineffective and counterproductive. Research shows little evidence that social media drives widespread mental health crises in children. Removing online anonymity through identity verification enables government surveillance and censorship of journalists, activists, and whistleblowers. Additionally, only large tech companies possess resources to comply with extensive regulations, potentially strengthening their market dominance rather than limiting their power.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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