© Off-Guardian
Social media companies aren't happy about it, predictably, and the kind of people conditioned to oppose everything social media-related are proudly cheering it on.
That's how the issue is being framed. Social media/big business vs protecting children.
But that's not what it's really about. It's really about digital identity and removal of anonymity.
Think about it - how do you enforce banning anyone under 16 from social media?
Well, you need everyone to prove their age before starting an account.
How do they prove their age?
Why, with a new Australian government backed digital identity of course.
Perhaps the one that was created by an Act of Parliament in May and is due to come online on December 1st.
This isn't me spouting hypotheticals, they're openly saying it. From Reuters [emphasis added]:
Australia plans to trial an age-verification system that may include biometrics or government identification to enforce a social media age cut-off, some of the toughest controls imposed by any country to date.The plan couldn't be more obvious.
Step 1 - Create digital ID.
Step 2 - Enforce its use via "think of the children" messaging.
...that's it. It's a two step plan.
Comment: Walmart is just the latest in Starbuck's string of successes: