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Norway set to become latest country to ban social media for under 16s

bloomberg.com

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Re: Norway set to become latest country to ban social media for under 16s

#271

Post by traderj0e »

pmg101 wrote: post #236
kdheiwns wrote: post #229

We can't even get countries to agree on a unified drinking age, but somehow the whole world is simultaneously coming to the conclusion that you need to be 16 to use social media, and websites and operating systems all need North Korean ID verification to prove you're over 16. There is a zero percent chance this is organic

I'm a parent and on board with this, and many parents I know are too. It's organic. We just have a different view from you.

I'm on board with it too, but the timing and methodology is suspicious. We already got a "protect the kids" law to semi-block TikTok in the US, but it was really about protecting Israel's image (its sponsors even admitted). I hope it's not related to that.

Re: Norway set to become latest country to ban social media for under 16s

#272

Post by ben_w »

lovelearning wrote: post #262
ben_w wrote: post #235

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> (hint: it's not because of the kids) needs to stop, it's dangerous and people need to stop being so naive and stop supporting this. It's partly because of the kids. It's also because social media is part of the USA's soft power projection, and many of us now consider this to be a threat. It's also because social media has a long history of manipulation for their own gain, against the users' interests, dark patterns…

I find the coordination between nations suspicious. But what you said - "It's also because social media is part of the USA's soft power projection, and many of us now consider this to be a threat." - strikes me as the most plausible driver behind it, given how chummy Trump and the techbros have become. I agree with your other observations about SM. But they've all been true from many years. That's why this sudden urg…

> I find the coordination between nations suspicious.

You shouldn't. I mean, they talk to each other continuously. Them coordinating things is normal. The EU nations will be doing even more coordination, because the EU is a body for the coordination of those nations.

> That's why this sudden urge by culturally diverse societies to act now feels suspicious, to me at least.

We're not all that diverse, really. Ironically, social media may have brought us all together against social media. And it's not really all that sudden, this has been building for many years now.

Similar things due to Trump trying to bully everyone, but specifically NATO, the EU, and the Americas (and all the international stuff DOGE cut) will have a lot more stuff like this, some of which will be coordinated, some of which will be everyone spontaneously making similar decisions. That too will take years… well, unless Trump actually picks a kinetic fight with a NATO country, then political years pass in a few weeks.

Re: Norway set to become latest country to ban social media for under 16s

#273

Post by philistine »

asdfman123 wrote: post #264
slg wrote: post #258

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People have been drinking alcohol since time immemorial. Our laws need to overcome those longstanding cultural standards that vary greatly across the globe and therefore laws will be different too. It varies by country, but I would guess most political leaders didn't grow up in the era of social media, so there isn't some ingrained belief that kids actually need this stuff. And with growing globalization, it makes pe…

We didn't need social media before it existed. If no one's on it, that sounds like the ideal situation for young kids.

Same thing with phones in school. When it's banned by a legislature, every kid's like this is actually great six months after being enacted.

Re: Norway set to become latest country to ban social media for under 16s

#274

Post by xg15 »

kdheiwns wrote: post #229

We can't even get countries to agree on a unified drinking age, but somehow the whole world is simultaneously coming to the conclusion that you need to be 16 to use social media, and websites and operating systems all need North Korean ID verification to prove you're over 16. There is a zero percent chance this is organic

The world is much more globalized now. Countries are watching each other, political movements can be global. That wasn't the case when drinking laws were enacted.

Also, the object - social networks - is global. Yes, all kinds of societies have had alcohol, but alcoholic beverages don't suddenly become 20% more potent or harmful everywhere at once. With centralized platforms, that can happen.

Re: Norway set to become latest country to ban social media for under 16s

#275

Post by Matl »

ben_w wrote: post #254
Matl wrote: post #243

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why am I being forced to prove to my OS that I am an adult just because of your inadequate parenting skills?

Isn't the OS thing specifically California state law? If so, the answer is "California is unfortunately very influential": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_effect (And I'm saying this as someone who doesn't live in the US, nor care to).

It is but the point is once you are OK with some invasive age verification laws, because they may simplify parenting, you get others imposed on you that might not be OK with you.

Therefore I am in favor of none.

Re: Norway set to become latest country to ban social media for under 16s

#276

Post by wrs »

john_strinlai wrote: post #138
kieranmaine wrote: post #124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My understanding in this case the social media company is liable for allowing a child to access social media. So is not a crime for a child to use social media. > Children cannot be left with the responsibility for staying away from platforms they are not allowed to use. That responsibility rests with the companies providing these services. They must implement effective age verification and comply with the law from d…

sure, that sounds right for how it is currently. my parenthesis above is probably wrong. but the whole point of my example was showing that its absolutely possible to hold parents accountable for their childs actions. there are dozens of laws that do so already. so there is no excuse why a social media ban could not be written in the same fashion as those laws, rather than moving parental responsibility onto tech com…

Laws hold parents accountable for their childrens' crimes, not their noncriminal actions. Nothing about this is saying that accessing social media is a crime -- that would be more similar to drug possession laws, firearms licensing, etc.

If your child is drinking: they are violating the alcohol possession age limit themselves; you are liable for their crime plus child endangerment if you gave them the alcohol; and whoever sold or supplied them the alcohol is violating a separate law. Sounds like we're trying to apply the same structure to social media, except (so far) with no possession/usage law.

Re: Norway set to become latest country to ban social media for under 16s

#277

Post by ben_w »

Matl wrote: post #275
ben_w wrote: post #254

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't the OS thing specifically California state law? If so, the answer is "California is unfortunately very influential": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_effect (And I'm saying this as someone who doesn't live in the US, nor care to).

It is but the point is once you are OK with some invasive age verification laws, because they may simplify parenting, you get others imposed on you that might not be OK with you. Therefore I am in favor of none.

That applies to all laws, not just all "invasive age verification laws".

You may be a libertarian, I basically was when I was a teen, but since then I've seen how people act and how this makes everyone miserable.

Re: Norway set to become latest country to ban social media for under 16s

#278

Post by synecdoche »

whack wrote: post #257
kdheiwns wrote: post #229

We can't even get countries to agree on a unified drinking age, but somehow the whole world is simultaneously coming to the conclusion that you need to be 16 to use social media, and websites and operating systems all need North Korean ID verification to prove you're over 16. There is a zero percent chance this is organic

> There is a zero percent chance this is organic Who exactly has a vested interest in starting a worldwide conspiracy to ban social media for kids? FWIW as an adult in my 30s, social media has caused me far greater harm than even binge drinking. I can't even imagine growing up as a teenager under the social media microscope

It’s pretext for identifying and tracking everyone. A inevitable ”byproduct” from getting your age by digital ID.

Re: Norway set to become latest country to ban social media for under 16s

#279

Post by mythrwy »

bluegatty wrote: post #233
afh1 wrote: post #205

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is not about kids. It's about surveillance.

It's about kids. Its serious problem, every parent knows this. It has some scary negative externalities. Related issue, but not the same issue.

It can be both (and in my opinion is).

There are groups that would love to be in full control of visible information and parents rightly concerned about social media use by kids.

Re: Norway set to become latest country to ban social media for under 16s

#280

Post by Geee »

So, by disabling all social features (comments, chat) kids can keep using Instagram and Youtube? Is it really the social features which are harmful? I'd guess that it's the addictive content which might be more harmful.

Also, does these bans extend to text-only social media such as HN?

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