Social Media on Trial (Part 2 of 2)

French lawmakers approved a bill banning social media for children under 15. The measure is expected to start at the beginning of the next school year in September. The bill, which also bans the use of mobile phones in high schools, was adopted by a 130-21 vote. French President Emmanuel Macron has requested that the legislation be fast-tracked, and it will now be discussed in the coming weeks.

“Banning social media for those under 15: this is what scientists recommend, and this is what the French people are overwhelmingly calling for,” Macron said after the vote. “Because our children’s brains are not for sale — neither to American platforms nor to Chinese networks. Because their dreams must not be dictated by algorithms.” I agree, but...

… to repeat what I said in my last blog, this should not be a government issue. It’s the job of parents to be responsible and oversee what their children do in their everyday lives. Social media is open to all, from church-going goody-goodies, to predators and others with no morals. Strangers are no more trustworthy online than they are in real life. Parents need to oversee their children, especially about who they interact with. Better yet, don’t give your child a smartphone if you’re not tech savvy.

I have no problem with banning cell phone use in schools, as studies show it detracts from the learning process and interferes with the learning of others around them. However, banning children from social media is nothing more than censorship, or… is their another more devious and nefarious purpose to such a ban?

In order to “enforce” such a ban, which even not-so-intelligent children will find ways around, age verification almost has to be implemented. While it’s already possible for governments to track every adult’s online presence, though there are methods to minimize it, age verification for every website deemed “risky” provides a much simpler way to track everyone’s online existence. Not only will governments gather more data on users, but so will companies, data brokers, and evil doers such as predators and hackers. Age verification could include driver’s license information, credit card information, or other sensitive data.

Many companies claim such data will be deleted upon verification, however, if true, you’d have to go through the process every time. That presents another nefarious concept. Could such verification be used to make online access to current events and opinions such a hassle, that we choose to no longer participate? A controlled population is one that knows not what they should know.

According to France’s health watchdog, one in two teenagers spends between two and five hours a day on a smartphone. Is that any worse than spending five hours a day in front of a TV? To the government, probably. TV doesn’t allow access to millions of opinions and content covering government abuses.

Allegedly, the French ban won’t cover online encyclopedias, educational or scientific directories, or platforms for the development and sharing of open-source software. Well, isn’t that nice? Generally accepted facts will be permitted, but anything controversial will not.

Source used: Associated Press