Social Media. How powerful is it? We're about to find out here in Oz

[bust]

Social media age ban inquiry flooded with 15,000 submissions after Elon Musk weighs in

In short: 

A Senate inquiry into the government's proposed laws to ban children from social media has been inundated with about 15,000 submissions.

Earlier in the week, Elon Musk tweeted about the government's bill, amplifying it to millions of X users.

What's next?

The Senate committee is scheduled to hand down its report on Tuesday, as the government rushes to pass the laws this week before parliament rises for the year.

A rushed inquiry into the government's proposed laws to ban children and young teenagers from social media has been inundated with about 15,000 submissions, despite having only been open for 24 hours.

The huge response came after Elon Musk weighed into the debate, sending a social media post from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announcing the bill into the timelines of millions of X users.

The ABC understands that most submissions are variants of a template response, with 88 submissions from interest groups made public at the time of publishing.

With just three parliament sitting days left in the year — and possibly Labor's term, depending on when an election is called — the government has moved fast to legislate its plan to get people under 16 off social media.

Elon Musk, who owns X, questioned the Australian government's motives for a ban last week. 

The bill was referred to a Senate inquiry on Thursday and it was open for submissions until Friday. A half-day public hearing was held on Monday, with the committee due to hand down its report on Tuesday.

It will leave just over two days for the bill to pass parliament, which it is expected to do with Coalition support.

Musk questions government's motive

Under Labor's plans, children younger than 16 will be barred from using social media platforms including Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and X.

The onus will be on tech companies to take reasonable steps to prevent them from accessing the platforms or face fines of up to $50 million. Parents and users who find ways to flout the rules will not face penalties.

Both the government and the Coalition argue that the drastic step of blocking young people from social media is necessary to protect their mental health and safety.

The government has taken a big step towards its goal of getting children and young teenagers off social media and revealed who would be covered by the ambitious ban. 

But others say it may end up causing more harm than good, including some mental health advocacy organisations which have warned the inquiry that cutting kids off from their online networks may exacerbate isolation.

Social media companies have also criticised the move. Digital Industry Group Inc (DIGI), which represents the Australian digital industry, told the inquiry that the government's focus should be on increasing the safety of platforms for children, rather than introducing a blanket ban.

Mr Musk, who owns X, the social media platform previously called Twitter, jumped into the debate on Thursday, suggesting the laws would lead to government control of the internet.

"Seems like a backdoor way to control access to the internet by all Australians," he wrote in response to Mr Albanese's post announcing the introduction of the bill to parliament.

Underneath Mr Musk's post, Australian senator Pauline Hanson shared a link to the inquiry's webpage, which included details of how to make a submission.

Mr Musk's post was viewed at least 24.4 million times and reposted by 16,000 users, according to the social media platform.

Senate inquiries more commonly receive tens or hundreds of submissions, but prominent and contentious bills have been known to attract thousands of pro forma responses.

For example, a 2009 Senate inquiry into the Marriage Equality Amendment Bill received more than 28,000 responses, which was at the time among the highest number ever received. 

Greens and independents lament 'rushed' process

The Greens and some independent senators have criticised how quickly the legislation is being pushed through parliament.

"The government's deal with [Opposition Leader Peter] Dutton to ram through a social media age ban in under a week is rushed, reckless and goes against the evidence," Greens communications spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young said.

She said a recent parliamentary inquiry into social media "heard time and time again that an age ban will not make social media safer for anyone".

"It is complicated to implement and will have unintended consequences for young people."

Meanwhile, some crossbenchers are yet to make up their minds on whether they will support the bill, including independent senator David Pocock who said on Monday that he supported the idea "in principle" but lamented the rushed process.

"The usual process is that the questions you don't get to ask you then put on notice.

"It's pretty hard seeing how you're going to get questions back on notice if the committee's meant to report tomorrow," he told ABC RN Breakfast.

"This is really poor process."

Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie also described the snap one-day hearing as "shameful" and accused the government of "trying to ram something down our throats instead of getting it right".

During Question Time on Monday, Mr Albanese said the proposal was about setting a "new community standard" and that the world was watching Australia's "landmark" laws.

"They are applauding what we are doing in showing leadership in this area," he said.

If the legislation passes, the ban will not come into effect for 12 months to allow social media companies time to find ways to comply with the rules.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-25/social-media-age-ban-inquiry-flooded-with-submissions/104644208

[think_too_mut]

Social media have degenerated the human kind.
This board is not that. It is nobody comes here, they go social media, get poisoned, raped, mistreated, killed, think it is all on the net. It is, but where? Had the backpackers came to here to ask for an advice, it would have been different.

[buffalo_bill]

5 hours ago, think_too_mut said:

Social media have degenerated the human kind.
 

Which is the truth. And becoming worse with the influence of AI. I wonder where this will be going, not my problem any more thanks God.

[Old Hippie]

9 hours ago, buffalo_bill said:

Which is the truth. And becoming worse with the influence of AI. I wonder where this will be going, not my problem any more thanks God.

Not sure if anyone else caught it, but a few AI Bots posted here about a month back and were reported. 

 

      Social media is interesting, it played a major roll in the last few elections and will continue to do so. AI Bot posts by foreign governments attempting to sway elections and policies while suppressing other policies etc…. Social media also gives every group with an agenda, good or bad, a platform to united and organize…fine if it is for a good cause, bad if it is for others like hate groups etc…TTM is correct, if people came to forums like this one found a group of people who seemed to know from experience rather than general, in some cases AI, posts from people who really don’t know. The old days, my first trip, we had no social media, everything was learn as you go, talk to others. You either got a good feel about a person or a bad vibe etc and went from there. You learn as you went and learn from others. Now-a-days, with all the “experts” on” the web” and fake information, who knows? It is almost like it was before, go and learn as you go and trust noting until you see it. It seems like social media, the web etc has encouraged people to let their guard down. Look at all the internet predators targeting kids… the internet in general has made life more simple in many ways and more difficult  and more dangerous in other ways.  

 

[bust]

The federal parliament has passed legislation to ban people under 16 from having an account with some social media platforms.

In doing so, it has ignored advice from a chorus of experts — and from the Australian Human Rights Commission, which said the government rushed the legislation through parliament "without taking the time to get the details right. Or even knowing how the ban will work in practice".

The ban is, however, backed by 77 per cent of Australians, according to a new poll. It won't take effect for at least 12 months.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-29/how-under-16-social-media-ban-will-work-remains-a-mystery/104662740

Note: As usual Musk is having a dummy spit

[think_too_mut]

Even if that ban is ever implemented ( I think impossible) , what would prevent a 12 years old to type "porn" in Google search and get into that unlimited world?
Internet world would have to allign with the physical world, might happen within next 10 years.

The governments have to step in, this is their first and likely a doomed attempt.

Like, when the cities started to form, there was no government for urban planning, public transport, water supply, canalization, street lamps. But they came in and took control of the essential utilities and services. Electricity was not known yet.
Something of such proportions has to happen with the Internet. It is an utility.

Former nanaplaza board was banned from my company (and many others, where board members worked). Jigger explained to me (when we met at the "Gulliver" in 2003) that the site was flagged by some quarters as an adult site.

France and Lithvania, included the Internet as a constitutional right.  Like water, electricity, labor rights. That is where government involvement comes in.

[Old Hippie]

On 11/26/2024 at 2:04 AM, buffalo_bill said:

Which is the truth. And becoming worse with the influence of AI. I wonder where this will be going, not my problem any more thanks God.

Just out of curiosity, why do you think it’s not your problem? The fallout from some of the crap on social media greatly affect society as a whole and reaching and who it really will affect frankly I don’t see anybody being able to avoid it.

[think_too_mut]

I think Buffalo_Bill was a bit sarcastic. Like Keith Richards (82), The Rolling Stones,  who smokes on the stage and gives a shit about smoking bans everywhere.
He knows who he is, the world knows who he has been since 1962. and still is.

[Coss]

Generational change starts somewhere.

Think back, to when the printing presses started proliferating, every man and his dog started printing and distributing "pamphlets" saying - what ever it was they wanted to.

Since the 15th century various laws have been put in place, by governments, around the publishing and dissemination of information, starting with the printed word and extending to the radio and TV and Movies...

Could people find away around these laws? Sure, rife are the ways.

The tech companies have been successful in avoiding, being placed into the realm of "Publishers".  But for how long?

The argument that the internet is a utility, only goes so far. It's where the companies make money, that laws will be effective. Eventually.

If the Water company delivers, just water, then it's a utility. If it delivers Cyanide and Arsenic in the water, then the company is a murderer.

Draw the analogy, that the internet companies deliver harmful content that causes deaths... if you can.

In my humble view, we could always do with less people, the more serious problem, is the internet promoting ignorance.

 

[buffalo_bill]

6 hours ago, Old Hippie said:

Just out of curiosity, why do you think it’s not your problem? The fallout from some of the crap on social media greatly affect society as a whole and reaching and who it really will affect frankly I don’t see anybody being able to avoid it.

Mister, fallout from " social media" does not interfere with my pleasant life directly because I do not partake in any way. My mobile telephone is just a telephone 17 years old and almost nobody knows who and where I am. I despise anything the is called "social media" and I just laugh about individuals falling from a bridge taking instagram photos or running under a train reading tiktok shite. Up to them. It should indeed worry me realising that people adjust their life to what some rotten souls like Donald or now Elon publish be the hour but I have no reason to let this influence my life in any way. Simply I am too old to worry; til the AI takes over I hope to have signed off by watching the giant Mekong quietly passing by, preferably accompanied by my beloved cigar and maybe beer Singh. That would be fine, although the mighty river Rhein just 5 minutes away would also do the job. Khun Hippie, I am probably the oldest fart on this fine forum but life is still great, why should I worry about "social media" after 77 years, just fuck it. Hope you get my drift. On a strictly confidential sidenote: Previous Thai citizen Maylin, now even holding a German passport, bit overweight but good heart, making some money occasionally by strengthening the Thai/German relationship, confirmed the other day " You like young man". The exaggeration of the month, but social without media. Over to you.