<
https://www.techdirt.com/2025/12/17/when-the-internet-grew-up-and-locked-out-its-kids/>
"In December 2025, the world crossed a threshold. For the first time ever,
access to the major social media platforms was no longer guaranteed by
interest, connection, or curiosity — but by a birth date. A new law in
Australia decrees that people under 16 may no longer legally hold accounts on
major social-media services. What began as parental warnings and optional “age
checks” has transformed into something more fundamental: a formal
re-engineering of the Internet’s social contract — one increasingly premised on
the assumption that young people’s participation in networked spaces is
presumptively risky rather than conditionally beneficial.
Australia’s law demands that big platforms block any user under 16 from having
an account, or face fines nearing A$50 million. Platforms must take “reasonable
steps” — and many will rely on ID checks, biometric checks, or algorithmic age
verification rather than self-declared ages, which are easily falsified. The
law was officially enforced in December 10, 2025, and by that date, major
platforms are expected to have purged under-16 accounts or face consequences.
It’s not just Australia. Across the Atlantic, the European Parliament has
proposed sweeping changes to the digital lives of minors across the European
Commission’s domain. In late November 2025, MEPs voted overwhelmingly in favor
of a non-binding resolution that would make 16 the default minimum age to
access social media, video-sharing platforms and even AI-powered assistants —
unless parental consent is given. Access for 13–15-year-olds would still be
possible but only with consent.
The push is part of a broader EU effort. The Commission is working on a
harmonised “age-verification blueprint app,” designed to let users prove they
are old enough without revealing more personal data than necessary. The tool
might become part of a future EU-wide “digital identity wallet.” Its aim:
prevent minors from wandering into corners of the web designed without their
safety in mind.
Several EU member states are already acting. Countries such as Denmark propose
banning social media for under-15s unless parental consent is granted; others —
including France, Spain and Greece — support an EU-wide “digital majority”
threshold to shield minors from harmful content, addiction and privacy
violations."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
