JAY GOLDBERG: Carney tables social media ban for teens, relies on ‘trust me’ gov’t | #childpredator | #onlinepredator | #sextrafficing

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The Carney government has officially tabled its new Safe Social Media Act, with the centrepiece of the legislation being a ban on social media access for those under the age of 16.

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The federal government is arguing that the social media ban will be temporary, something platforms will be able to work around once a new digital regulator certifies their safety standards.

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But there’s no telling how long that could take. And, as University of Ottawa Law Professor Michael Geist puts it, even if the social media ban is framed as a temporary measure, “there’s no putting the toothpaste back in the tube given that the policy will require a regulator and proof of age from everyone.” If government doesn’t want youth and teens accessing certain apps or websites, everyone’s age is going to have to be verified, likely through a third-party service, raising privacy concerns.

Active parenting

Does banning teenagers from accessing social media even make sense from a policy perspective?

First of all, there’s the question of who should be monitoring teenagers and making choices for them. Right now, there are all kind of limits parents can put on the apps their kids can access, and it’s even possible to put time limits on how long teenagers are using particular devices or apps. Active parenting is the best and most effective solution to guard against teenagers overusing social media to their detriment.

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Politicians love to point to polls to try to show a social media ban for teenagers under the age of 16 is popular. But an Angus Reid poll conducted back in March found 72% of respondents felt parents, rather than government, should be the ones deciding whether their kids should be on social media.

Second, these bans haven’t even proven to be effective. Australia’s ban on teenagers accessing social media came into place last December. But early data suggests more than one million Australian teenagers who shouldn’t be able to access social media because of the country’s new legislation are still online.

Kids are using fake birthdays or borrowed accounts. In many cases, sophisticated teens are simply using VPNs. In other words, Australia’s legislation is encouraging teenagers to get more creative in accessing social media rather than stopping them from attempting to access these sites altogether. This might be more dangerous for these teens, as in many cases they are likely trying to hide what they are doing from their parents.

Third, social media can be a useful tool for teenagers if used in a responsible way. There are support groups that some youth use online. In addition, many use social media to stay in touch with friends or family who live far away. Others are able to make new friends online based on common interests. Without social media, these positive externalities go away.

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Finally, social media can become a skill for the job market. All kinds of jobs out there require employees to be savvy users of social media, particularly in the marketing field. If teenagers aren’t able to access social media and learn about these apps until the age of 16, they may not be as well-equipped as they should be for the job market.

Details matter

Beyond whether a social media ban even makes sense, there’s also a huge concern when it comes to implementation. The vast majority of the powers under the Safe Social Media Act would be given to cabinet and an appointed commission, to be known as the Digital Safety Commission. Instead of fleshing out exactly how the government envisions the new legislation to be implemented, many of the details are just left to be worked out later. A lot of power will be given to a new Digital Safety Commission, appointed by the government, that will write, police, and fine under rules that Parliament will never see, assuming this legislation is passed.

If the Carney government wants to restrict the rights of Canadians and their ability to access parts of the internet, the government owes it to Canadians to share the details with us upfront, rather than take a “trust me” approach. “Trust me” government never works. Canadians don’t want to see legislation passed, only to find out what’s truly in the legislation later. We’re owed answers now, not months if not years after the Liberals try to ram this bill through Parliament.

The Safe Social Media Act is a dangerous piece of legislation. It threatens Canadians’ privacy, substitutes active parenting with a nanny state, and is fundamentally undemocratic in terms of the number of details the government simply plans to work out later. At a minimum, this legislation needs a major overhaul. Better yet, it should be scrapped entirely.

Jay Goldberg is the North American Affairs Manager at the Consumer Choice Center

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