Yup. Instead of blaming people on the receiving end of bad services, why not -- hear me out here -- demand better services?

https://www.politico.eu/article/europe-should-stand-up-to-big-tech-instead-of-imposing-social-media-bans-estonia-says/

Europe should regulate Big Tech instead of banning kids from social media, Estonia says

The European Union should focus on regulating large social media platforms instead of imposing bans for minors to use them, Estonia’s Education Minister Kristina Kallas said on Friday. Europe…

POLITICO

Worth noting RE Estonia - they have also been ahead of the curve on disinformation.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220128-the-country-inoculating-against-disinformation

and

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220128-the-country-inoculating-against-disinformation

It is not surprising they would have a better response around dealing with big tech than most.

The country inoculating against disinformation

Subjected to repeated disinformation campaigns, the tiny Baltic country of Estonia sees media literacy education as part of its digital-first culture and national security.

BBC
@funnymonkey 83 youth researchers released a statement with a similar message last week. Our government is thinking about a social media ban for youngsters, so it had to be done.

@milesizdead The parallels between privacy protections -- which always devolve to blame the user rather than hold the companies accountable -- are so striking.

I'd love to see us get this right.

@funnymonkey @milesizdead I don't think that the real violence has even started yet.
@funnymonkey Certainly regulate big (US) tech, but is that enough?
@funnymonkey Sadly teens don't have a big enough lobby in Brussels.
@funnymonkey @aslakr Yes, Estonia! They are also a model for building and delivering good digital government services - it’s possible with enough political will.
@funnymonkey
I made a wild guess.
Suppose you want to collect more information in Europe, stealing everyone's data as you already do in the US. Then you go to a smart device manufacturer's in the US and say: "you're devices are widespread everywhere, we have a good idea to let you stay in business. Start with an ex-European country, an almost ex-ally. Enforce adult verification, you know that now or later it will be rule. Then collect all the data for us. This is a one time offer"

@funnymonkey partially agree. Yes big tech need regulating but the users need to take some responsibilty too.

Before SM the problem was games, DVDs, streaming... the "it is someone else's fault" is not always true and too many people are addicted to screens.

@funnymonkey They are not “bad”, in the sense of “poorly done”, they’re bad in the sense “malicious”. By design, at the core, as a consequence of the business model.

Nobody should be exposed. They can not be fixed. They must be stopped. Period.

@funnymonkey

At last! A leadership with sense.

@funnymonkey

Basically she states the obvious indeed… we should sue big tech for harassment of children.

@funnymonkey Or how having certain devices be allowed for kids 16 and under, and later they can graduate to devices for grown-ups.
Kid's devices, say phones, basically don't have internet access. Like the Light Phone someone developed.
Not sure how that could work with computers, but I'm sure some smart people could design something that could work as a safe kid computer.
Like moving from bicycles to cars.
@funnymonkey I think there's a lot that could be improved by regulating big tech (e.g. stronger privacy protections, banning dark patterns in interfaces), but when governments talk about "protecting kids", they're usually talking about making it easier for the government to spy on private communications to the detriment of free speech, so I think it's important to be on guard for that. I hope that's not what Estonia is trying to do.

@eanopolsky Good point.

Yeah - strong encryption with no backdoors is table stakes.

@funnymonkey blame politicians from profiting from COVID, I mean “mismanaging” COVID, for allowing businesses to see how much they can get away with, and keep doing it, like having 1 person do 3 peoples jobs and getting society burnt out on purpose, while having less jobs.
@funnymonkey what social media provide is not a service - service to whom? Everything they do is for their own good, and we have the right to keep our kids from them.
Senator Paula Simons🇨🇦 (@[email protected])

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@funnymonkey
Any social media age restriction should be the onus of the companies involved.
@Paulatics
@funnymonkey Stupid governing party in #Canada wants #surveillance of kids rather than regulating Big Tech. #Neoliberalism coupled with #surveillanceCapitalism is a terrible thing. https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/liberal-party-vote-on-social-media-age-restrictions-9.7159746
Liberal members vote in favour of age restrictions for social media, AI chatbots | CBC News

Liberal members voted in favour of restricting young Canadians' access to social media platforms and artificial intelligence chatbots, as the party's national convention winds down in Montreal.

CBC
@funnymonkey What hurts children also hurts adults.