'We have it the wrong way around,' CyberSafeKids chief on why a social media ban won't work
Kenneth Fox
Australia became the first country in the world to ban social media for under-16s last year, prompting other countries to consider whether it is the solution to protecting kids online.
France recently voted in favour of banning social media for under-15s, and Denmark also has plans to do the same.
With Tánaiste Simon Harris recently saying Ireland needs to prohibit the use of social media for under-16s, could Ireland be next?
Speaking to BreakingNews.ie Alex Cooney, chief executive of CyberSafeKids, said, "Blanket bans, like in the case of Australia, are excessive.
"My view is that we should be looking at some sort of independent investment age suitability versus risk."
"At the moment, these companies largely set their own minimum age based on an old US law, which indicates an age of 13. There are tons of kids under 13 on these platforms.
She said if these companies want younger users on their platform, they need to prove they can provide a safe and suitable environment for them, adding, "We have got it the wrong way around."
"Think of something like a film classification board. If video game platform Roblox wants users as young as seven on its platform, the onus is on them to show they can provide a safe space for them."
"It is a risk assessment essentially, but it is largely a self-assessment. They are just not getting the scrutiny they should."
Whether it is Snapchat or TikTok, which has a minimum wage of 13, she said:
"In my mind, they just would not get it. Snapchat would be lucky to get a 16 age rating because of the contact risks.
"TikTok would be the same because of the harmful content that is being shared."
The two main issues when it comes to a blanket ban on social media for under-16s are kids will inevitably find workarounds, and there is also no pressure on social media companies to reform.
Ms Cooney said if it is an over-18s app, there needs to be age gating system in place, which means requiring online services to check, estimate, or verify all users' ages—often through tools like ID checks or biometric scans.
In some jurisdictions, they are already in place, such as the UK's Online Safety Act, which requires a site that provides pornographic content, having to have age verification.
It has made it harder north of the border to access that content, but south of the border it is a free-for-all.
Mr Cooney argued the Government is sitting on its hands to see what the European Union does while other countries like Italy have taken action.
"These companies are getting away with a lot of freedom. We are getting bogged down in whether we should ban or not, rather than what we do to make it safer for kids online and put the onus on them (social media companies)."
Engagement model
She said there needs to be fines if these companies have an age rating, but children younger than that are on their platform.
She also brought up the example of Grok AI generating child sexual abuse images and how it took a week to start an investigation, and said, "We need legislation that actually has teeth."
The current generation has grown up in the digital age, yet their safety has been a missing component. Ms Cooney said: "It comes down to the engagement model and how that is their number one goal."
"Even if you put enough safeguards, there are still problems with AI chatbots having inappropriate conversations with kids."
The impact of social media on children and teens is clear, with evidence showing that it impacts children's ability to concentrate and study because of short-form content.
Ms Cooney said: "We need to challenge that engagement model, but it will not be easy because they are making a lot of money from it.
"In theory, because we have an Online Safety Code, all of the social media companies like TikTok or Instagram that are based in Ireland are under it, which requires them to have age verification.
"We don't know if all of these companies have put in the proper age verification systems, though."
She said the fact that countries are having these conversations shows there is something seriously wrong with these models. It is just what those measures should be.
"That realisation that it is harming our kids, whether it is their concentration span or what a healthy sexual relationship looks like. Sadly, we just have not been radical or brave enough about the solution."
"An age categorisation board is one of the solutions that will force the social media companies to act. Currently, we are too reliant on them just doing the right thing."
