It is an ambitious social experiment of our moment in history 91裸聊视频� one that experts say could accomplish something that parents, schools and other governments have attempted with varying degrees of success: keeping kids .

Australia91裸聊视频檚 new law, approved by its Parliament last week, is an attempt to swim against many tides of modern life 91裸聊视频� formidable forces like technology, marketing, globalization and, of course, the iron will of a teenager. And like efforts of the past to protect kids from things that parents believe they91裸聊视频檙e not ready for, the nation91裸聊视频檚 move is both ambitious and not exactly simple, particularly in a world where young people are often shaped, defined and judged by the online company they keep.

The ban won91裸聊视频檛 go into effect for another year. But how will Australia be able to enforce it? That91裸聊视频檚 not clear, nor will it be easy. TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram have become so ingrained in young people91裸聊视频檚 lives that going cold turkey will be difficult.

Other questions loom. Does the ban limit kids91裸聊视频� free expression and 91裸聊视频� especially for those in vulnerable groups 91裸聊视频� isolate them and curtail their opportunity to connect with members of their community? And how will social sites verify people91裸聊视频檚 ages, anyway? Can91裸聊视频檛 kids just get around such technicalities, as they so often do?

This is, after all, the 21st century 91裸聊视频� an era when social media is the primary communications tool for most of those born in the past 25 years who, in a fragmented world, seek the common cultures of trends, music and memes. What happens when big swaths of that fall away?

Is Australia91裸聊视频檚 initiative a good, long-time-coming development that will protect the vulnerable, or could it become a well-meaning experiment with unintended consequences?

Platforms will be held liable

The law will make platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram liable for fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars ($33 million) for systemic failures to prevent children younger than 16 from holding accounts. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 clear that social media companies have to be held accountable, which is what Australia is trying to do,91裸聊视频� said Jim Steyer, president and CEO of the nonprofit Common Sense Media.

Leaders and parents in countries around the world are watching Australia91裸聊视频檚 policy closely as many seek to protect young kids from the internet91裸聊视频檚 dangerous corners 91裸聊视频� and, not incidentally, from each other. Most nations have taken different routes, from parental consent requirements to minimum age limits.

Many child safety experts, parents and even teens who have waited to get on social media consider Australia91裸聊视频檚 move a positive step. They say there91裸聊视频檚 ample reason to ensure that children wait.

91裸聊视频淲hat91裸聊视频檚 most important for kids, just like adults, is real human connection. Less time alone on the screen means more time to connect, not less,91裸聊视频� said Julie Scelfo, the founder of Mothers Against Media Addiction, or MAMA, a grassroots group of parents aimed at combatting the harms of social media to children. 91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 confident we can support our kids in interacting in any number of ways aside from sharing the latest meme.91裸聊视频�

The harms to children from social media have been well documented in the two decades since Facebook91裸聊视频檚 launch ushered in a new era in how the world communicates. Kids who spend more time on social media, especially when they are tweens or young teenagers, are more likely to experience depression and anxiety, according to 91裸聊视频� though it is not yet clear if there is a causal relationship.

What91裸聊视频檚 more, many are exposed to content that is not appropriate for their age, including pornography and violence, as well as . They also face bullying, sexual harassment and unwanted advances from their peers as well as adult strangers. Because their brains are not fully developed, teenagers, especially younger ones the law is focused on, are also more affected by social comparisons than adults, so even happy posts from friends can send them into a negative spiral.

What unintended harms could be caused?

Many major initiatives, particularly those aimed at social engineering, can produce side effects 91裸聊视频� often unintended. Could that happen here? What, if anything, do kids stand to lose by separating kids and the networks in which they participate?

Paul Taske, associate director of litigation at the tech lobbying group NetChoice, says he considers the ban 91裸聊视频渙ne of the most extreme violations of free speech on the world stage today91裸聊视频� even as he expressed relief that the First Amendment prevents such law in the United States

91裸聊视频淭hese restrictions would create a massive cultural shift,91裸聊视频� Taske said.

91裸聊视频淣ot only is the Australian government preventing young people from engaging with issues they91裸聊视频檙e passionate about, but they91裸聊视频檙e also doing so even if their parents are OK with them using digital services,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淧arents know their children and their needs the best, and they should be making these decisions for their families 91裸聊视频� not big government. That kind of forcible control over families inevitably will have downstream cultural impacts.91裸聊视频�

David Inserra, a fellow for Free Expression and Technology, Cato Institute, called the bill 91裸聊视频渁bout as useful as an ashtray on a motorbike91裸聊视频� in a . While Australia91裸聊视频檚 law doesn91裸聊视频檛 require 91裸聊视频渉ard verification91裸聊视频� such as an uploaded ID, he said, it calls for effective 91裸聊视频渁ge-assurance91裸聊视频� that includes an array of ways companies can estimate someone91裸聊视频檚 age. He said no verification system can ensure accuracy while also protecting privacy and not impacting adults in the process.

Privacy advocates have also raised concerns about the law91裸聊视频檚 effect on online anonymity, a cornerstone of online communications 91裸聊视频� and something that can protect teens on social platforms.

91裸聊视频淲hether it be religious minorities and dissidents, LGBTQ youth, those in abusive situations, whistleblowers, or countless other speakers in tricky situations, anonymous speech is a critical tool to safely challenge authority and express controversial opinions,91裸聊视频� Inserra said. 91裸聊视频淏ut if every user of online platforms must first identify themselves, then their anonymity is at risk.91裸聊视频�

Other countries are trying to figure it out, too

Parents in earlier this year organized on platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram to promise not to buy smartphones for children younger than 12 or 13. This approach costs almost no money and requires no government enforcement. In the United States, some parents are either informally or as part of an organized campaign such as Wait Until 8th, a group that helps parents delay kids91裸聊视频� access to social media and phones.

This fall, Norway announced plans to ban kids under 15 from using social media, while a smartphone ban for kids under 15 in a limited number of schools 91裸聊视频� a policy that could be rolled out nationwide if successful.

U.S. lawmakers have held multiple congressional hearings 91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频� on child online safety. Still, the last federal law aimed at protecting children online was enacted in 1998, six years before Facebook91裸聊视频檚 founding. In July, the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passed legislation , pushing forward with what would be the first major effort by Congress in decades to hold tech companies more accountable. But the has since stalled in the House.

While several states have passed laws requiring age verification, those are stuck in court. Utah became to pass laws regulating children91裸聊视频檚 social media use in 2023. In September, a against the law, which would have required social media companies to verify the ages of users, apply privacy settings and limit some features. NetChoice has also obtained injunctions temporarily halting similar laws in several other states.

And last May, said there is insufficient evidence to show social media is safe for kids. He urged policymakers to address the harms of social media the same way they regulate things like car seats, baby formula, medication and other products children use.

Said Scelfo: 91裸聊视频淲hy should social media products be any different? Kids may try to get around the restrictions 91裸聊视频� just like they do for alcohol, tobacco or drugs 91裸聊视频� but nobody is saying that because they try, we should give them unfettered access to them. Parents cannot possibly bear the entire responsibility of keeping children safe online, because the problems are baked into the design of the products. And so we need policies that hold Big Tech accountable for ensuring their products are safe.91裸聊视频�