Key facts
- Attempts to ban widely used technology like social media often fail, pushing users to unregulated platforms.
- Meta has implemented a two-hour daily daytime limit for under-18s on Instagram and Facebook, a default nighttime block, and a notification block during school hours.
- New York City schools have restricted generative AI access for elementary and middle school students on school hardware, while high school students will take AI literacy courses.
- Australia's ban on social media for children under 16 has had minimal effect, with teens using incorrect ages or VPNs to bypass it.
- Uttara Ananthakrishnan, a professor of technology at the University of Washington, expressed concern that bans could lead to users going 'underground' online.
Efforts by tech companies and governments to restrict the use of social media and artificial intelligence, particularly for younger users, may prove ineffective and could push individuals toward unregulated platforms, according to technology professor Uttara Ananthakrishnan. Drawing a parallel to the Prohibition era in the United States, where alcohol consumption levels remained high despite the ban, Ananthakrishnan suggests that outright restrictions on widely adopted technologies are difficult to enforce and often lead to users finding ways to circumvent them.
Ananthakrishnan's research indicates that when adult websites implemented age-verification checks, users migrated to sites without such measures. Similarly, Australia's ban on social media for those under 16 has seen teens quickly return to these platforms by providing incorrect ages or using VPNs. Meta has introduced new restrictions for teen users on Instagram and Facebook, including daily time limits and nighttime blocks, but without industry-wide standardization, users may simply shift to other platforms offering unrestricted access.
In education, New York City and Los Angeles have implemented bans on generative AI in classrooms. New York's policy restricts access on school hardware for younger students and mandates AI literacy courses for high schoolers. Critics argue these measures could lead to unmonitored AI use outside of educational contexts. Keri Rodrigues, president of the National Parents Union, advocates for policies that teach responsible AI usage rather than outright bans.