[michael9k]

Don't know how this could be implemented in a good way (so FB etc do not get access to important identity information), but trying to limit social media for kids below 13 is a fantastic idea.

One could wish the adults/parents would limit this themselves, but sadly this is seldom the case. For some reason it seems most parents really are clueless to the level of harm imposed by social media to their kids?!

[yaur]

COPA already effectively does this, but kids just lie about their age. Making FB and company liable for those cases where parents decide to let their preteens go wild on social media seems insane.

[zo1]

So plan B would be to make the parents liable? Just have Facebook refer suspected cases for police to confirm.

[crooked-v]

That sounds like a great way to make the US' selective enforcement problems even more pernicious.

Child of a rabble-rouser? Arrest that man! Child of a respected judge? Clearly just an honest mistake.

[Mindwipe]

Unfortunately plan B is to ban anonymous access to websites.

[hellojesus]

People will just stop using us based sites.

[Mindwipe]

The UK and most of Western Europe are doing the same thing. Russia and China are no fans of the free internet.

[hellojesus]

True, but it only takes a single country anywhere in the world to keep the internet free. And by keeping the net free, they'll get all the money, so they're is a strong incentive to do so.

In the event there are no countries left there are still options:

1. Hidden services

2. Decentralized

3. Just create a pool mechanism where you contribute your private key for whatever gov Auth system exists, then use a random id from the pool among all sign-ups everytime you sign up for a service.

[RobinL]

As mentioned by Hilary Clinton in a recent interview on the rest of politics, it's very telling that when silicon valley entrepreneurs advertise for nannies, they often have strict requirements for minimising screen time.

Seems like there's pretty strong revealed preference here (watch what people do not what they say). The people building this tech know it's harmful to kids.

As a parent the argument I hear most often is that all the other kids have it so it's almost impossible to stop your own kids. I don't necessarily buy that, my kids are still young but I intend to keep them away from social media as long as possible.

[madaxe_again]

I think it’s also that kids are far smarter than generally given credit for, and are perfectly capable of going behind their parents’ backs.

What is needed, and has been for some time, is an identity service.

This does exist in some parts of the world - here in Portugal, for instance, I access government services online with a smartcard, password and 2FA - and I don’t see why they couldn’t extend this as a general SSO service using oauth or whatever to provide accredited identities to providers who require it due to regulation. The provider doesn’t need to receive anything from the auth apart from a user id, or a “deny access”.

[soulofmischief]

Because humans have the right to reasonable privacy, which is a prerequisite to protecting other human rights, such as activism and free speech.

[Kwpolska]

I don't want Facebook/Twitter/Reddit/etc knowing my real identity, and I don't want my government knowing my Facebook/Twitter/Reddit/etc profile ID.

[john_the_writer]

I don't understand that "behind parents back" bit.

My teen kids aren't on social. I know this because their dumb phones don't support it, and their computers are not permitted in their rooms (Kitchen table only).

I suppose they could get on, through a friends smart-phone, but that would be limited to the time they spend on the bus to/from school.

[meindnoch]

How do you know they don't have a second phone? E.g. a friend gave them their old phone.

As a kid I was doing graffiti, and later drinking and smoking weed without my parents knowledge.

[john_the_writer]

1. none of their friends have the money to have an old phone.

2. When would they have the time. They're home, and at school. Band, Judo, Cadets, Tutoring. Where's the time to hide a phone.

3. I'll stipulate that some kids could do it. Vast majority would get caught. And my kids fear the pink bunny suit I have in my closet. I'd walk them to school every day for a month. Lets seem them stay on facebook through that. :)

[InCityDreams]

>to the level of harm imposed by social media to their kids

That 'level of harm' being decided by yourself, I'll wager?