Katie Brown: Social Media Expert on the potential minimum age limit for young people on social media

There's doubts a social media ban would prevent youth from accessing the online platforms. 

Australia is exploring a ban and has launched an authentication trial, but it's unknown how it will be enforced. 

Our Prime Minister has expressed interest in the idea. 

But Social media expert Katie Brown told Mike Hosking a ban wouldn't stop kids lying about their age, as generations have done before. 

She says young people will find a way to get on to the platforms they want to be on. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Australian government, as I mentioned earlier, entered into the
world of fantasy by pretending they can slap a social
media ban on kids. ALBINIZI no less as drafting legislation
involving age limits. They think about sixteen. If you're below sixteen,
you won't be able to access allegedly social media experts.
Certified Facebook community trainer Katie Brown is with us on
This Katie Morning. To you one, I'll ask you whether

(00:21):
it's doable in a moment as an idea. Do you
like it? No?

Speaker 2 (00:25):
I don't like it as an idea. I just don't
think it's practical. But it's not helpful for young people
navigating digital spaces either.

Speaker 1 (00:35):
Exactly.

Speaker 2 (00:35):
All the experts say it's not a good idea.

Speaker 1 (00:37):
So it's not a good idea, and it's not even workable.
It's not workable, isn't. I mean if you ask somebody
are they sixteen or eighteen or whatever the case may be,
they're not going to answer correctly if they don't want to,
are they?

Speaker 2 (00:47):
No? No, I think you probably had a fake idea
when you were when you were younger, you know, so
young people will find a way to get onto the
channels that they want to get onto if it's the
popular channel that they want to be on.

Speaker 1 (01:00):
So can I just congratulate?

Speaker 2 (01:02):
Okay?

Speaker 1 (01:03):
Do you when you said I had a face ID
when I was younger. When I was younger, they didn't
have the Internet. So I'm a great deal older than
you clearly think I am. But thank you so much
for that, because you've you've lifted me up immeasurably for
the day. But no, I'm correct and saying, no one
anyway has done this, have they? And they just can't.

Speaker 2 (01:19):
Well, I was listening to the South Australian Premiere talking
about how Florida had had enacted some sort of law,
but you know, you could just drive over the barrier
line and you're in a new state and you can
access again. So yeah, like I say, provision doesn't work.
Fixing the core of the problem, which is the content,

(01:40):
which is the you know, the platforms allowing access to
that content, that's really important. And so I think it's
worth while putting pressure on the platforms and saying, hey,
you need to be doing more to protect young people
under the age of sixteen, But banning them will just
drive that behavior into secret and it means that they
might not be talking to the appearance about some of

(02:01):
the best stuff they're seeing.

Speaker 1 (02:02):
Well done, Cadie, appreciate your expertise. Katie Brown, one of
my favorite gifts. Let's get her on again. Any old
subject doesn't really matter as long as she flatters me.

Speaker 2 (02:11):
I'm all in for more from the mic Asking Breakfast.
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