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A new law in the EU will ban showing ads and using personal data for kids. Here in Norway we have had general ban on showing ads to kids for decades, but it was
by rsolva 4y ago
A new law in the EU will ban showing ads and using personal data for kids. Here in Norway we have had general ban on showing ads to kids for decades, but it was made in the TV age and has not been enforced on social media.
We can't outright ban social media (for a lot of different reasons), but we can regulate away the most harmfull aspects.
One of the fundemental underlying problems is the lack of good privacy laws. As long as companies can gather whatever they want and use it against us to show us personalized ads and posts to hold on to our attention as long as possible, we will not be able to curb the worst aspects of social media.
- cubefox 4y agoI don't think that ads are the main problem of social media. It's rather the way they replace personal physical relationships with scrolling.
- rsolva 4y agoThat is an inherent problem with screens in general, especially mobile ones, as it is such a powerful attention grabing arena. I'm trying to be pragmatic when I propose to curb the use of algorithm driven feeds and limit businesses to gather massive amounts of highly personal data thats is used to train algorithms to become even more effective attention grabbers. There has to be limits to what a government can regulate or ban. Being social online should not be banned. Allowing companies to inject themselfs and interfere in our social interactions, gather almost unlimited data and use it to exploit our psychological quirks and weaknesses should be. EDIT: And I agree that for the user, the ads are not the main problem. However, ads are the main incentive for businesses to do whatever they can to grab your attention, and this is a big problem.
- emptystation 4y agoAds insensitive platforms to design a more and more addictive infinite feed. If they cannot profit from children scrolling endlessly, why would they want to enable children to scroll endlessly? If ads for children on social media are banned (somehow), kids' feeds will probably just become way more boring.
- rsolva 4y agoExactly. If we want to get a grip on the most damaging effects of social media, we have to correctly identify the incentives that has put us in current mess we are in. Every commercial social media platform that I know of earns money primarily by selling and displaying personalized and targeted ads – so that is where we should start. The 'targeted' part can be addressed by strengthening privacy regulations and enforcing them vigorously, and the 'ads' part can be attenuated by banning ads made for and shown to kids and young people.
- cubefox 4y agoI disagree. Just because some group doesn't get fed ads anymore, doesn't magically cause the social media platform to become any less addictive.
- rsolva 4y agoCorrection: It is illegal to make ads targeted towards children. You can't keep kids from seeing regular "grown up" ads on TV and in public places, but to tailor ads for kids are not OK.
- charlieyu1 4y agoNow I am a bit curious. Does it mean there were no Kindle or Toysrus or similar ads on TV in Norway?
- rsolva 4y agoI do not have kids and do not watch much TV, but I have never seen a commercial for Toysrus or any other related type of business. I know that there used to be a loophole where channels from abroad (different jurisdiction) did show commercials for kids, but I'm not sure if this is the case today. Generally speaking, the law is quite clear: Ads specifically target towards children is illegal. Ads than are meant for grown ups, but is likely to be seen by children also has to adhere to certain limits. I have to say I'm really happy with these laws. The same goes for the law that prohibits ads for alcohol containing beverages.