True North Strong And Free2d ago
#AgeGate #CdnPoli
From 2026-5-7
"Why Social Media and AI Chatbot Bans for Kids Are Bad Policy: Making the Case at the Senate Social Affairs, Science and Tech Committee"
https://www.michaelgeist.ca/2026/05/why-social-media-and-ai-chatbot-bans-for-kids-are-bad-policy-making-the-case-at-the-senate-social-affairs-science-and-tech-committee/
Why Social Media and AI Chatbot Bans for Kids Are Bad Policy: Making the Case at the Senate Social Affairs, Science and Tech Committee - Michael Geist

The Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology is one of several committees in the House and Senate conducting hearings on artificial intelligence. I appeared before the committee yesterday (my fourth appearance on the issue in recent months), but rather than reiterate previous testimony on privacy, copyright, and transparency, I focused on the big issue of the moment: bans on social media and AI chatbots for children. The committee had been hearing from many supportive witnesses who emphasized the risk of harm associated with AI. Indeed, one Senator asked the panel before mine to raise their hands if they supported a ban, and virtually all hands went up. I was unsure about how my comments would be received, but I found the Senators open to debate on the issue. A video of my opening remarks, together with the transcript, is posted below. A future Law Bytes podcast episode will delve into the discussion that followed.

Michael Geist
Gamers Voice3d ago
More coverage on the joint statement we signed. This time from PC Gamer. https://www.pcgamer.com/software/mozilla-stop-killing-games-and-more-team-up-to-tell-the-uk-to-stop-making-the-internet-worse/ #AgeGate #StopKillingtheInternet
Mozilla, Stop Killing Games and more tell the UK: stop making the web worse

'Even targeted age restrictions of specific features could mean that all users are required to complete intrusive age assurance processes'.

PC Gamer
True North Strong And Free5d ago

#AgeGate
https://techlore.tech/age-verification-laws-and-free-software-fsfe-interview-techlore-talks/

via https://mstdn.social/@leftylabourtech/116499999740061148

Just parking this toot for now, might write a bit more about it later.

Age Verification Laws and Free Software: A Legal Expert Tells Us What's Actually at Stake

Techlore Talks brings you in-depth conversations with the experts at the forefront of digital rights, privacy and security.

Techlore
True North Strong And FreeMay 1

#AgeGate

"The Illusion of Protection: Why Canada's Growing Push to Ban Social Media for Kids Won’t Work"
https://www.michaelgeist.ca/2026/04/the-illusion-of-protection-why-canadas-growing-push-to-ban-social-media-for-kids-wont-work/

[Quoted] Points made: "
1 The ban lets social media off the hook
2 The ban does not work
3 The ban creates its own harms
4 The polling on bans does not say what proponents claim
5 Provincial bans make everything worse
6 Kids have constitutional rights too"

Quote: "That isn't real protection. It's an illusion that should be rejected by politicians and advocates alike, in favour of policies more likely to address their concerns about protecting children from online harms."

#CdnPoli

The Illusion of Protection: Why Canada’s Growing Push to Ban Social Media for Kids Won’t Work - Michael Geist

The momentum behind a social media ban for Canadian minors has been building for months. The federal Liberals voted at their April policy convention to back a minimum age of 16 for social media accounts and AI chatbots, the government’s expert panel on online safety is studying the issue, protesters have now rallied on Parliament Hill calling for it, and on Saturday night, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew told a Winnipeg fundraiser that his government will be the first in Canada to ban social media and AI chatbots for kids. Kinew did not specify which kids, when it would happen, or how it would be enforced, none of which appeared to matter to the audience. The political appeal of a ban is obvious, since concerns about social media’s effects on young users are widely shared. Yet the policy itself is a terrible idea that will not work. This post examines at least six reasons why an outright age-based ban, particularly one that extends to AI chatbots, is the wrong response to a serious issue.

Michael Geist
True North Strong And FreeApr 30

#AgeGate
MB Prem Kinew interview with CBC's AIH (7 min long)
https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-2-as-it-happens/clip/16211721-manitoba-premier-wab-kinew-vows-stop-tech-companies

Some impressions:
- AgeGate not really effective as 70% of Aussi under-16 users still have access to social media.
- Like most politicians, he does not seem to fully understand all of the technical details while he seems to be focused on corp profits.

IMO the only sure way to keep young people off social media is to take away their smartphones (something that parents can do now without new laws).
Give them flip phones with talk and text only if they need to communicate with parents.

Parental controls can be added to any computer to prevent certain people from connectiong to social media sites.
Many internet modems and most internet routers have these controls which could be more effective at keeping kids off social media than the approach used in Australia.

I'm concerned that politicians are reallly going to bleep things up for everyone and no one will be any safer.

I don't use corporate social media

#CdnPoli

Ed FossApr 28

Here is a good article from @OpenMediaOrg about some of the many problems with #ageGate
#Manitoba

The article misses a chance to introduce a better social network for all Canadians (#Mastodon based) that could be government-funded and regulated at very low cost.

#CanadaSocial

https://openmedia.org/article/item/social-media-ban-for-youth-and-children-protection-or-punishment

Social Media Ban for Youth and Children: Protection or Punishment?

Canada is edging toward a social media ban for youth and children, but the cure might come with its own complications.

codebuzz 🐧Apr 24

RE: https://fosstodon.org/@system76/116178718391012724

Reject the bill, always!

Stop governement being daddy and mommy at every turn of our lives! They suck at governing. So you will be at least 2-steps disadvantaged, at least!

What in the candy, and such. Processed shit, thats not good for your health. Where is the age label for buying those?

They don't care, they just want absolute control.

Age-control, age-validation.. it's a lie to get control. Government is ridiculousness, make them back off!

#age_verification #ageGate #privacy

Enola KnezevicApr 18

They simply do not care about our data being leaked. They intend to hand it to the US Big Tech on a silver platter anyway.

https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-brussels-launched-age-checking-app-hackers-say-took-them-2-minutes-break-it/

#privacy #surveillance #surveillanceState #ageVerification #ageGate #censorship #technofascism #identityVerification #EUropeanUnion #EU

Brussels launched an age checking app. Hackers say it takes 2 minutes to break it.

Cyber experts say they have found holes in Brussels’ age verification app, despite claims by the EU executive that it is “technically ready.”

POLITICO
Show threadGuyMar 30

@BobLefridge

Edit/additional note: Charlotte McLauchlan is not a journalist, but a paid consultant/writer. So, let's guess why she's written this piece ...

There are multiple angles to this:

Yes, social media is bad (for kids). So, go against the US Surveillance Tech social media mega conglomerates to get it right! Bust them in court to eternity for ludicrous sums of $$$ until they stop abusing their position.

Age gates are bad. They massively torpedo people's privacy. It needs to be a social **right** to get certain information anonymously (e.g. mental health, gender issues, and all kinds of other things).

Who's behind this? Predominantly the decision to adopt age gates has been driven and fuelled by Meta and other social media giants. Estimates are that Meta has put approx. US$ 2 billion into this in lobbying and funding of 'interest groups' that are supposedly pro-family and for child protection. Meta has the most to gain (exclusion of smaller competition that can't afford it, plus *verified* identity data of users for better targeting ads and campaigns).

#SurveillanceCapitalism #NZpol #AgeRestriction #AgeGate

James BakerMar 25
The ICO issued a joint statement on ‘age assurance’ aka privacy invading digital ID. Their odd position is now people must go through privacy invading procedures to ‘protect their data’ and to be sure users are > 13 years old. This likely why Apple are saying U.K. law requires age assurance stuff. https://ico.org.uk/about-the-ico/media-centre/news-and-blogs/2026/03/joint-statement-from-ico-and-ofcom-on-age-assurance/ #AgeGate #apple #ICO #UK
Joint statement from ICO and Ofcom on age assurance

We have published a joint statement with Ofcom about the main areas of interaction between online safety and data protection as they relate to age assurance.