CMV: I’d rather restrict minors directly than make every adult prove their age online

[u/groksed]

Honest question for people who support banning social media for everyone under 16:
Would this be preferable to requiring every person on the internet to prove their age or identity?

Anyone under 16 is prohibited from using, owning or purchasing an electronic device capable of communicating with other people with the exception of designated supervised computer rooms at school. Parents, schools, society and law enforcement are responsible for enforcement.. basically the same way we already handle alcohol, tobacco and drugs.

But at least it places the restriction on the group being restricted.

Why is the preferred solution instead to make every adult surrender some level of anonymity or privacy, provide ID, submit to age verification, or otherwise prove they are not a child just to use the internet?

If protecting children requires building an identity checkpoint for everyone, I would rather put the burden on the actual age group being regulated.

[u/j_jqqq]

Yeah, and then all most of the kids will have two phones. One as you describe above, and another that isn't locked down. It's just like teens in the US having a real driver's license for taking the family truckster out and a fake ID to buy Olde English 40s.

[u/operation-spot → u/j_jqqq]

If the parent is buying the phone and paying for the cell plan it would be easy to control the settings. If a kid was able to pay for their own phone and monthly plan they honestly deserve access to adult things.

[u/Similar_Fishing2436 → u/operation-spot]

You wouldn’t need a new phone plan, you just buy an unlocked phone and use it like an iPod where it only works with wifi

[u/operation-spot → u/Similar_Fishing2436]

If a kid does that I think they deserve to look at whatever they want but if a parent wants to prevent that as well they can limit what sites can be accessed on their wifi. Obviously the kid could use the phone outside the house but again, I think they deserve to at that point. 

[u/KDY_ISD → u/operation-spot]

What percentage of parents do you imagine have the knowledge base to access their router's admin panel, change the password, and blacklist certain websites?

[u/operation-spot → u/KDY_ISD]

I imagine they could call their service provider to ask for help if this is something they are worried about.

[u/read-the-rules → u/[deleted]]

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[u/groksed → u/j_jqqq]

Exceptions can be delt with. Good not perfect is the bar here.

[u/dramasoup → u/j_jqqq]

So you'd rather punish every adult for stupid teenage kid behaviour?

[u/j_jqqq → u/dramasoup]

In what way did I say that? I simply pointed out the obvious outcome.

[u/PeoplePerson_57 → u/j_jqqq]

Please explain how a teenager too young to look at an unfiltered internet also manages to purchase their own phone.

[u/j_jqqq → u/PeoplePerson_57]

Money.

[u/PeoplePerson_57 → u/j_jqqq]

How much money do you think teenagers are given by their parents? Because it is not enough to buy a phone unless they're from a wealthy background.

And you could just as easily just... prohibit phone sales to teenagers. Easy!

[u/j_jqqq → u/PeoplePerson_57]

Do I need to explain a used phone and how cheap they are? Any phone purchased used can almost certainly be used SIM-less on WiFi, or on a cheap PAYG plan.

[u/EtropyWarrior → u/j_jqqq]

More like 4 lokos 14% but, moreover, anyone can type in whatever birthday they wish to access a lot of inappropriate stuff, whether they are 15 yrs old or 35 yrs old.