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Such a thing would require mandatory age verification of every user of the platform, which is obviously a significant privacy complication.

by petcat 2mo ago

roosterIllusi0n 2mo ago
We do not need to give into the solutions supported by the tech companies. Voters need to vote for a solution that restricts them, not us. I say lock down a legal definition for social media that only applies to sites that alter what you see based on algorithms. Ban them on all internet connections by default until the account owner undoes the block and the block will be per device when it comes to phones. We can also block these sites in all wifi routers until someone disables it there too. Yes, adults can just unlock it for their kids, but that is something that could be addressed if a problem. All solutions can be bypassed by a willing parent.
JumpCrisscross 2mo ago
> Such a thing would require mandatory age verification of every user of the platform Maybe, maybe not. Either way, it would be entirely between the social media companies and their users. No blanket requirements across devices or the internet. I’d add a provision that creates even steeper fines and private liability for retaining any ID, etc. collected to verify age.
ben_w 2mo ago
> which is obviously a significant privacy complication. I'm sure the companies will default to the darkest of dark patterns, and the most privacy violating mechanism possible, but the law doesn't have to be written to require this, and can be written to forbid it. Same, on both counts, as the cookie popups. Consent not actually required for things necessary for the functionality of the system, and the popups themselves are often not compatible with the law as written. Age verification can be done in a way that preserves privacy. The websites must be required to do so, and fined if they try to weasel out of privacy preservation. Remember that these sites spent years insisting people use their "real name" and if they thought you weren't doing so they wanted users to show a government ID. These sites want people using real photos as their profile picture. These sites want to know where you live, where you work, and of course who your friends are.

Such a thing would require mandatory age verification of every user of the platform, which is obviously a significant privacy complication.

by petcat 2mo ago

Such a thing would require mandatory age verification of every user of the platform, which is obviously a significant privacy complication.

roosterIllusi0n 2mo ago

We do not need to give into the solutions supported by the tech companies. Voters need to vote for a solution that restricts them, not us. I say lock down a legal definition for social media that only applies to sites that alter what you see based on algorithms. Ban them on all internet connections by default until the account owner undoes the block and the block will be per device when it comes to phones. We can also block these sites in all wifi routers until someone disables it there too. Yes, adults can just unlock it for their kids, but that is something that could be addressed if a problem. All solutions can be bypassed by a willing parent.

JumpCrisscross 2mo ago

> Such a thing would require mandatory age verification of every user of the platform Maybe, maybe not. Either way, it would be entirely between the social media companies and their users. No blanket requirements across devices or the internet. I’d add a provision that creates even steeper fines and private liability for retaining any ID, etc. collected to verify age.

ben_w 2mo ago

> which is obviously a significant privacy complication. I'm sure the companies will default to the darkest of dark patterns, and the most privacy violating mechanism possible, but the law doesn't have to be written to require this, and can be written to forbid it. Same, on both counts, as the cookie popups. Consent not actually required for things necessary for the functionality of the system, and the popups themselves are often not compatible with the law as written. Age verification can be done in a way that preserves privacy. The websites must be required to do so, and fined if they try to weasel out of privacy preservation. Remember that these sites spent years insisting people use their "real name" and if they thought you weren't doing so they wanted users to show a government ID. These sites want people using real photos as their profile picture. These sites want to know where you live, where you work, and of course who your friends are.