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It started in Australia and now many other countries around the world are jumping on the bandwagon.
I am talking about not allowing children under the age of 16 to have social media accounts.
The argument states that it is necessary to protect them from all the nasty people out there on the Wicked Wide Web.
Why are there so many bad actors on social media? Because it started and grew up with the concept of being anonymous. Initially, it was argued that anonymity was essential for whistleblowers, political dissidents, journalists and victims of abuse who may face retaliation for speaking out.
It quickly turned into a free-for-all where anybody could express a controversial comment without fear of recrimination.
This, in turn, gave rise to the concept of trolling where people could be abused, threatened or even blackmailed online.
Which brings us back to the bad actors and the need to protect the kids.
The Internet giants, Meta, Google, Tic Tok etc constantly push back against getting rid of the anonymous accounts by proclaiming that it’s not possible to verify everybody.
Well, yes it is, just ask Linkedin.
In order to have a verified account with them you have to submit a photograph of your passport or driving licence. There are plenty of other sites who have easy to use verification processes.
The real reason the big boys don’t want to play is, of course, money.
More accounts mean more clicks and we all know that more clicks means more dollars.
The thinking is that if you force every account to have their identity verified then there will be massively less accounts. Which is true as most users with bad intentions will operate many multiple accounts. Anonymous accounts are frequently used to create fake personas, manipulate public opinion, and spread false information at scale.
Co-ordinated networks of anonymous profiles can amplify misleading content, interfere in elections, or promote scams that target vulnerable individuals.
It doesn’t have to be like this!
The Internet should be a glorious facility which holds the sum total of all human knowledge for all to access. It should be a mechanism for education, inspiration, innovation and collaboration, empowering people to learn, create, share ideas and solve problems together regardless of geography, culture or background.
At its best, it has the power to connect humanity, foster understanding and provide equal opportunities for personal growth, scientific discovery and economic advancement.
It should be a place where truth is valued, respectful dialogue flourishes, and technology serves the common good rather than division, deception, or harm.
So how do we get from the current cesspit to the above ideal?
It has to be what the Australians started, legislation. It has already been made apparent that the big boys – Meta, Google etc – are not going to regulate themselves. They make so much money that fining them hundreds of millions of dollars is no deterrent … but there is a solution and there is a precedent.
Many years ago corporations could run roughshod over Health and Safety rules, if someone got injured or killed then pay the family some money and move on.
Then the governments of the world introduced corporate responsibility which led to corporate executives being charged with manslaughter and thrown in prison for long periods. That got their attention and soon the world was flooded with risk assessment. So let us apply that solution to the social media companies.
You can bet the house on the fact that if you threaten to throw Mark or Larry or Elon into the slammer then their companies will very quickly find ways to ban all anonymous accounts and make the Internet a much nicer place to play.
All it needs are the world’s governments to act.
Jackie@JBeedie.com
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