llanciawn16h ago
abbiistabbii 
The UK's social media ban for under 16s is going to be an absolute clusterfuck of epic proportions.

OK so in the list of social media sites that will be banned, which were surprisingly vague, Youtube was included. Youtube. You know. The Video Depository? The Video Depository that has things like Public Information Films for Young people? The site with REVISION MATERIALS FOR 15-16 YEAR OLDS?

So not only are they going to BORK the internet by making you age verify video embeds that they include, they are going to also block a site that kids studying from their GCSEs and National 5s use to FUCKING REVISE! How the fuck you gonna access Crash Course IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS YOUTUBE, KEIR?

OH BUT IT GETS WORSE!

So the platforms mentioned are "platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X" BUT they stress the ban will NOT include Whatsapp or Signal. Whatsapp has Social Features like Snapchat, and even Signal has stories, so where the fuck do you draw the line?

Like that is incredibly vague. How do you differentiate between SnapChat and WhatsApp now? WhatsApp has developed into basically SnapChat with a worse UI, and even Signal has Disappearing Stories ala Snapchat!

How exactly do you differentiate between WhatsApp/Signal and Snapchat? A Streaks feature?

Oh, and on top of that, as Amnesty very aptly put it, it doesn't actually deal with the REASON Social Media is a problem. Social Media sites are designed to be unsafe. They don't HAVE to be, but they are. They are designed to keep you on the site as long as possible and keep you using it.

Banning U16s from Social Media WON'T fix that. It'll just result in a load of 16 year olds who don't know how to behave on the fucking internet, which is arguably more dangerous. it's like keeping a kid locked in their room until 16 and then telling them to drive to the shops for some smokes.

They could twist the arms of social media companies to end skinnerboxing and addictive practices, but the Social Media companies have cucked them so hard that they're doing this, so they can continue skinnerboxing people, this time with less preparation, while claiming to be "doing something."

OH AND TO TOP IT ALL OFF, all of this was announced on Twitter, a site run by a man who helped incite pogroms and riots, and makes money by letting people who pay him generate CSAM using his AI, and nothing about that is being done.

Fuck. This. Shit.
Jun 15 at 11:44amWeb
Show threadSupermoosie20h ago

@abbiistabbii

Exactly.

It is just copying what they did here in Australia.

Australian ban was pushed by a radio station, large advertising company and 32 global partner companies.

Want kids off their mobile screens and back to radio and tv, so they can consume advertising they control.

Also own AI age verification tools and ai ban statistics to sell.

Hence they are now pushing global.

Nothing about protecting kids.
https://www.crikey.com.au/2025/12/09/36-months-teen-social-media-ban-big-tech-brands/

‘Everyone got paid’: How Wippa’s pro-teen social media ban group cashed in on its success

36 Months accused ban critics of being paid off by big tech. Meanwhile, it was lining up sponsorship deals, eyeing global expansion and coming up with its own AI tool to sell.

Crikey
Show threadSupermoosie20h ago

@abbiistabbii

So how does the ban work in practice in Australia?

Take the families pet rabbit Instagram account, which has not been updated not touched in 5 years. The rabbit has passed away.

The account was followed by family and a few of the kids friends. Some of the friends are under the age ban of 16.

A few months ago, we got an email saying the rabbit account got deactivated as needed to verify its age.

Now the rabbit did originally lie about its age to get an Instagram account in the first place. It was not 13, the minimum age Meta had set according to US requirements.

After resetting the password, the date of birth for the rabbit was set to the 1970s.

All good to go again.

The statistic that an account was challenged and found to be over 16 years of age, will be included in the 3 monthly report to the Australian government.

Show threadSupermoosie19h ago

@abbiistabbii

A ban takes away my rights to parent.

The Australian ban was pushed through with consulting or even understanding the impacts of a ban. No thought on kids needs or what they use social media for.

There was a "conference" which was staged managed, to only have people in favour of a ban.

The conference was later used for justification for the ban.

Studies with pushed out to the media ,such as the one where they told a few kids they were studying anxiety about social media, then took their phones away foe 30 minutes. Did you feel anxious with out your phone? Yes? That is bad.

Now do that with adults and take away their car. Or their gym access for a day or their coffee. Of course people will say they are anxious.

The risk analysis for trial ban was laughably short at one landscape page. The risk that had the most attention, was society would not support it.

They would manage that with a website and advertising." Our contractor has lots of prior experience doing this" ie spreading government propaganda.

The bill was pushed through parliament quickly. At one stage a public comment was allowed. Just 24 hours. 15,000 people commented, which is massive. Without even having time to collaborate or allow issues raised be read by those voting, the bill was passed the nwxt day.

At no point did anyone take the time to understand its impact on the kids.
https://mastodon.au/@SuperMoosie/116753292237885253

Supermoosie (@[email protected])

@[email protected] And the kids that have made friends from all over the world on social media,because people don't care if they are disabled, or what they look like. Unlike the kids that bully them at school. Us introverts, who found it hard to talk to people, but thrive with a keyboard and that extra time to create the right sentences? Or the rural kids, that don't have friends nearby? Or the kids that have family overseas or far away, that they were keeping in touch with via social media? Or kids that get information in their native language and follow events in their home countries. The kids running businesses on social media, gaining life skills? Or the kids following their heros, gaining information, having mental health and other medical organisations they can easily reach out to? Kids taking leadership and running environmental, social, volunteer groups, promoting their bands, running events, and coaching others? Adults making decisions have no idea how kids use social media, let alone how it benifits or harms them. The Australian u16 ban was pushed by an advertising company and 32 global brands. Did not care about kids, just wanted them back watching tv and radio, so they could consume advertising they controled. They also owned AI age verification software to sell. https://www.crikey.com.au/2025/12/09/36-months-teen-social-media-ban-big-tech-brands/

Mastodon Australia
Show threadMartin Hamilton19h ago
@abbiistabbii Thank you! Great summary of the so wrong it's visible from space wrongness 
Show threadNikkileah 🎮🚄🏳️‍⚧️🇬🇧16h ago
@abbiistabbii do we point The Kids at IRC already?
Show threadSteven Reed16h ago
@abbiistabbii 90% of the harm of something like Youtube could be mitigated just by forcing them to turn off the recommendation algorithm for whichever class of people you want to protect (you could make a good argument that baby boomers need to be in a sandbox too!)
Show threadPeter Brown16h ago

@abbiistabbii “as Amnesty very aptly put it, it doesn't actually with the REASON Social Media is a problem. Social Media sites are designed to be unsafe. They don't HAVE to be, but they are. They are designed to keep you on the site as long as possible and keep you usin!
Banning U16s from Social Media
WON'T fix that.”

100% true!

Show threadShark Attak14h ago
@abbiistabbii
Basically "Tell me you're a bunch of old morons who don't know much about Internet and the Modern Tech without telling me etc etc."
Show threadChris7h ago
@abbiistabbii But, hey, at least they’re not banning the mind numbing hell hole that’s YouTube Kids.