Kids are outsmarting social media bans. That’s not a problem we need to solve.
Social media bans are stacking up. In July, France joined Australia in restricting minors from accessing social media—barring children under 15 from major platforms, before the ban was blocked by the country’s top court on human rights grounds.
Several countries are introducing laws to restrict minors' access to social media platforms. In July 2024, France joined Australia in banning children under 15 from major platforms, though France's ban was later blocked by its top court on human rights grounds. The UK plans to forbid kids under 16 from accessing platforms like Facebook and TikTok starting in early 2027, while the EU aims to prohibit social media for those under 15. These bans are designed to protect young users from potential harms online, such as exposure to inappropriate content or interactions with strangers. However, the article highlights that such restrictions often fail to achieve their intended goals, as teens frequently find ways to bypass them. For example, a 2024 study found that 80% of teens under 16 in Australia successfully accessed banned platforms using methods like using a sibling’s ID or altering their appearance in photos.
The article argues that teens circumventing social media bans is not a minor issue to be solved through stricter enforcement but rather a signal that the bans themselves are flawed. When young people actively seek ways to bypass restrictions, it demonstrates their need for access to information, social connections, and identity formation—key aspects of healthy development during adolescence. The authors suggest that bans suppress these natural motivations and take a paternalistic approach that ignores teens' realities and needs. Instead of focusing on enforcement, the article proposes that policymakers should consider the underlying reasons teens are driven to bypass restrictions, such as the lack of safer alternatives or the benefits they gain from social media. For instance, many teens use these platforms to connect with peers, find informational content, and develop digital literacy skills.
Parents play a significant role in helping their children access social media, often by assisting them in bypassing age restrictions. Research from 2011 showed that parents commonly taught their children how to evade Facebook’s age gate, and the article notes that this practice persists today. Parents are not a monolithic group; many believe that providing responsible access to social media helps their children develop social skills, find supportive communities, and learn to navigate digital spaces safely. However, when parents cannot or do not help their children access these platforms, teens may turn to alternative online spaces that lack proper monitoring. These alternatives can range from relatively harmless platforms like Google Docs to more dangerous ones where they are vulnerable to abuse or predation. The article emphasizes that bans may push teens toward less-regulated corners of the internet, increasing their exposure to risks.
Age verification systems used to enforce social media bans come with significant privacy and security risks. Some platforms collect personal data, such as driver’s licenses, to confirm users' ages, which can lead to data mishandling or identity theft. For example, in 2023, Discord reported that a third-party service used for age verification, 5CA, had been compromised, exposing at least 70,000 images of users’ government IDs. This data could be misused to reveal sensitive information about users, such as their political views or sexual preferences. Additionally, efforts to block teens from using VPNs (Virtual Private Networks, tools that protect online privacy) to bypass restrictions can endanger other users, including journalists and human rights defenders, by forcing them to reveal their identities to access privacy-focused technologies. Some U.S. states, like Michigan and Utah, have attempted to restrict VPN use, but these efforts have faced legal challenges.
Rather than focusing on stricter enforcement of age bans, the article suggests that policymakers should address the root causes of risks to young users by targeting the practices of social media companies. One approach is to reduce *unhealthy engagement*, which refers to features designed to keep users online longer, such as addictive content feeds or targeted advertisements. Nearly all parents and teens surveyed expressed frustration with these practices, as they often lead to excessive screen time and exposure to harmful content. Another solution is to expand user-controlled tools that allow families to set their own limits on content and access. For example, keyword-based content filtering could enable users to block specific terms or phrases they find harmful. The article argues that these tools empower families to tailor their online experiences while avoiding the pitfalls of one-size-fits-all bans. The authors, including experts from the Center for Democracy & Technology and Cornell University, emphasize that real change requires addressing the business practices of platforms rather than merely restricting access.
