France: does the social media ban make sense?
France has become thefirst EU country to introduce a social media ban for under-15s. At President Emmanuel Macron's behest, the new rules are due to come into force immediately after the summer holidays – provoking a barrage of criticism in the commentary sections.
Inbuilt security instead of meddling
Fundamental changes need to be made to the platforms instead of just imposing age restrictions, Kelly Stonelake, a former executive at Meta and whistleblower, demands in Sydsvenskan:
“Social media platforms would be made safer for young people if their default settings which are geared towards endless scrolling and optimising interaction, as well as constant push notifications were eliminated. An age restriction changes nothing about the platform itself. The harmful elements remain in place; at best, the effects only become apparent later. Safety by design involves changing the platform itself to prevent children and young people from being exposed to a product that has been proven to be harmful.”
Pointless without educational measures
The ban is unlikely to achieve much, warns developmental psychologist Grégoire Borst in Libération:
“Simply banning these platforms will only postpone the difficulties faced by 13 to 15-year olds if it is not accompanied by an educational programme aimed not only at the young people themselves, but also their parents. ... As with the ban on social media, studies into the effects of banning smart phones in secondary schools in the UK have shown no positive effects on pupils' wellbeing, academic performance, time spent on social media or the quality and duration of their sleep.”
A step in the right direction
It will now be easier to protect children, writes Corriere della Sera approvingly:
“For example, this makes it possible to resist the pressure that all parents are exposed to sooner or later when they hear the words that come at the end of every discussion: 'But everyone has social media.' Today they can answer: It's banned. Just as smoking is banned, and alcohol is banned until a certain age. Do some kids still smoke? Do some still drink? Yes. And some will continue to use social media at 13. ... But it will still be prohibited behaviour, socially unacceptable. Parents are no longer being left alone in standing firm.”
Restrictions on media freedom in full swing
The Spectator worries about the state's focus on digital media restrictions in France:
“What will Macron do next in his war against what he calls 'fake news'? Since he was elected president in 2017, he has called for stronger regulation of the internet. In 2018, parliament passed a Bill that gave judges the power to remove 'false information' during election campaigns. ... He envisaged labelling media outlets according to their levels of trustworthiness. ... When the President boasts that 'we will keep on going' he means it. New values require new laws and the ban for under 15s is unlikely to be the last digital media restriction in France.”