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1. edupunkn00b Mon 16 Dec 2024 07:31AM UTC

   

   Thank you, both for your ongoing efforts to protect freedom of speech and access to information around the world and for keeping us informed.

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2. Alfred_f_jonez Mon 16 Dec 2024 07:34AM UTC

   

   I live in Australia and Istfg if ao3 gets blocked I’m gonna throw hands with albanese I am NOT losing my fan fiction

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3. 1. CloudyLavenders Mon 16 Dec 2024 07:58AM UTC

      

      Ao3 isn't social media, so this it won't be affected by this bill. Other sites however, that are actually social media, will be.

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   2. MalcontentCatboy Tue 17 Dec 2024 04:59AM UTC

      

      Worst case scenario, buy a VPN. They're dirt cheap, especially the ones that might not be as rigorous at protecting your identity. Which doesn't matter if you just want to bypass blocks.

      This post is NOT brought to you by [blank] VPN.

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   3. 1. Undiene Tue 17 Dec 2024 09:34AM UTC

         

         Sadly, VPNs work only as long as VPNs are still legal and not blocked too by the ban-happy country. It’s not like there are precedents round the world, right?

         If you are able to fight bans without endangering yourself and/or your family - do it. Those who can’t protect their silly fan fiction get their VPNs banned too.

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      2. 1. MalcontentCatboy Tue 17 Dec 2024 07:51PM UTC

            

            It's very hard to block VPNs because they have as many entry points as endpoints. While it's potentially possible, the government usually can't respond as quickly as the VPNs themselves, and it becomes costly to maintain such blocking. China has been trying and failing. However, if VPNs were illegal, that would have the interesting side effect of making it a crime to be caught using them. I'm not sure if that would stop people; again, it doesn't seem to in China, but maybe it would in western countries.

            Tor also exists, but while it is even harder to detect, it's impractically slow and most social media sites aren't usable on it.

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4. Queenhwasua Mon 16 Dec 2024 09:28AM UTC

   

   I understand that now, with social media platforms being a source for extreme right wing propaganda, governments are trying to tackle this "freedom of speech" behind a faceless usernames. In my country the debate was brought up after social media influencers tried to profit from a natural disaster and made false speeches about it, going against climate scientists, etc. The only way to handle misinformation and other social media "dangers" is by educating kids on how to use social media, teaching them to look for references when reading news, avoiding certain profiles or chats that might be potentially dangerous, etc. But banning them from Internet? Is this a joke? What good does that to them? They are gonna be 18 and they are going to be like boomers in the interwebs, falling for any scam (lol). Plus, a lot of kids have grown up with internet friends (me included) and we turned out just fine. Thanks to this online relationships, I discovered new hobbies, books, series, etc. Why do kids have to pay the price when the problem is the grown-up not being responsible for what they post on social media?

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5. SpaceCatsAreKool Mon 16 Dec 2024 09:45AM UTC

   

   I hate my country, but there's not a better option

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6. R1mo Mon 16 Dec 2024 01:11PM UTC

   

   It’s never about protecting the kids, always.

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7. pinocytosis_colada Mon 16 Dec 2024 01:49PM UTC

   

   aussie here - everyone i know thinks this social media ban is complete bullshit and a waste of money. absolute dumbfuckery as is isual in australian politics... i really hope OTW isnt affected by this :(

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8. 1. MalcontentCatboy Tue 17 Dec 2024 05:06AM UTC

      

      I think it will be alright in this case. The worst they can do is block it, since OTW isn't in Australia. China can't effectively stop people from seeing sites so I don't think Australia can succeed. Nice Mercedes-Benz BTW.

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9. littlegreencake Mon 16 Dec 2024 02:19PM UTC

   

   me asuste por un momento

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10. ASharksReadingGlasses Mon 16 Dec 2024 02:29PM UTC

    

    I can understand the concerns of younger generations being targeted by algorithms; I'm over 30, and I can still get trapped in endless scrolling. However, I feel like government officials are focusing on the wrong thing.

    Instead of banning young people from social media, why doesn't the government ban social media outlets from using algorithms to target its users?

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11. usagipoints Mon 16 Dec 2024 04:08PM UTC

    

    As a mother and aunt to a crowd of children aged 3 to 15, I can absolutely understand the reasoning behind age restrictions from my perspective. The problems we face in schools with WhatsApp and TikTok alone, especially regarding bullying, and the extreme influence social media has on mental health, consumerism, eating habits, and fanaticism, are truly alarming.

    On the other hand, I also see the positives, such as encouraging self-reflection on mental health, learning tips, tutorials, and fostering a sense of community. In my opinion, we need to differentiate more on this topic or create safe, moderated social media spaces for children starting, for example, at age 13. TikTok, among others, escalates (at least in Europe) partly due to a lack of moderation and partly because TikTok seems to care very little about what is posted (similar to X/Twitter). The addiction factor is also deliberately manipulated (as it is on Instagram). We are consciously exposed to advertisements and are constantly encouraged to consume. No one moderates posts or clarifies what's nonsense, and even if they did, people wouldn't read it.

    The topics of media literacy and reading comprehension are highly questionable across all age groups, which makes it hard to blame kids or teens. When I look at a restaurant today, I see two or more people at a table—all on their smartphones scrolling through social media instead of talking to each other. We are the role models! How are children supposed to learn healthy habits with these tools?

    And that’s without even starting on fake news, violence, pedophiles, rapists, or fanatical groups recruiting new followers. Young people need safe spaces where they can navigate both real life and the internet. Spaces where they can anonymously ask questions without fear of judgment, and tools to help them eventually find their way in the digital world.

    It breaks my heart to see teachers in higher grades tasked with teaching media literacy in three or four sessions per year and struggling just to send teaching materials via email. Media literacy starts with basic reading—newspapers and books—then moves on to messaging apps and chat features in console games like Roblox or Minecraft, and eventually to real social media accounts, but it doesn’t end there. The age ban is a band-aid on a gaping wound until we, as a global society, figure out how we want to use social media and similar platforms responsibly.

    Until then, I hope we can instill values like respect, responsibility, self-love, self-care, and a sense of community in our children by leading by example. The world deserves peace, health, and well-being in every corner. I wish for you all to stay safe and healthy.

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12. Stellathyst Mon 16 Dec 2024 06:46PM UTC

    

    US teen here - worried that eventually the US will do something similar. the internet is the only place I feel free to express myself without hiding anything. I practically live on the internet despite my parents trying to monitor me. I think the bills should be more on protecting kids by targeting the ones causing danger to them, not by targeting the kids :/

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13. eunaruna Mon 16 Dec 2024 06:55PM UTC

    

    To protect children is such a cop out reasoning. It's the same reasoning governments have used to take away women's reproductive rights, the right for trans youth to seek gender affirming care, etc etc.

    I don't buy their reasoning one bit.

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14. Batzzi Tue 17 Dec 2024 12:37AM UTC

    

    They don't actually care abt us I swear. It's all old people who have no idea how to use the internet. Plus they say they want us to get outside but, with a lack of third places for the youth and everything it's pointless. I hate the government man :[

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15. crowpocalypse_queen Tue 17 Dec 2024 01:07AM UTC

    

    Thanks, ao3 staff.

    If they actually wanted to protect kids from harmful algorithms, they would force the social media companies to either change or stop using algorithms. Make all the content display chronologically, disable recommended videos on YouTube, and get social media companies to bury the outrage bait.

    I do believe the way these algorithms mix positive and negative posts works on the brain like a slot machine to make you scroll as long as possible. You don't know when you'll get your next hit of dopamine and if it'll feel good or if you'll feel outraged and upset.

    Forcing social media companies like Facebook and Tiktok and YouTube to make their algorithms less harmful would help everyone. Less echo chambers, less alt right pipeline.

    But instead, this looks like it will be a privacy nightmare, making society less free and forcing kids getting cyberbullied to hide what they're going through.

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16. 1. Spirit_Of_A_Kiger Tue 17 Dec 2024 03:18AM UTC

       

       "I do believe the way these algorithms mix positive and negative posts works on the brain like a slot machine to make you scroll as long as possible. You don't know when you'll get your next hit of dopamine and if it'll feel good or if you'll feel outraged and upset."

       That's actually a really good way of putting it.

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17. ayannaaki Tue 17 Dec 2024 02:44AM UTC

    

    I'm sorry but banning kids will do very little to keep them off social media. They're smart, they know how to get around it. Rather, they should be educating them in schools on how to use social media safely and appropriately and also how they can be negatively impacted by the things they inevitably will see on there.

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18. Spirit_Of_A_Kiger Tue 17 Dec 2024 03:16AM UTC

    

    "Experts also comment that the bill lacks input from the group it impacts most – young people." My immediate thought here was "Oh, yeah, of course not. Why would they? A lot of people legitimately don't see children as humans, more as the pets/property of ACTUAL human beings."

    Idk if that's harsh, but again, it was my initial thought.

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19. PersonaSpace Tue 17 Dec 2024 03:22AM UTC

    

    Pretty sure any braid dead lawyer could find a way to twist AO3 into being social media. The board seriously needs to stop with this “First they came” attitude.

    Last Edited Tue 17 Dec 2024 03:23AM UTC

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20. 1. MalcontentCatboy Tue 17 Dec 2024 05:07AM UTC

       

       The biggest point here is that AO3 isn't based in Australia and probably doesn't even have a presence there. Unless the government goes full Great Firewall of Kangaroo Land, they can't do anything to AO3.

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    2. 1. CloudyLavenders Tue 17 Dec 2024 05:32AM UTC

          

          I highly doubt the Australian government even knows about the existence of Ao3 with what they're probably smoking up there to make these kinda laws.

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       2. LordiTheRailgun Wed 18 Dec 2024 06:43AM UTC

          

          Goodness could you imagine if that became the new black in law making?

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       3. bookfanatic_genius_weirdo Fri 20 Dec 2024 10:09AM UTC

          

          As an Australian, "Great Firewall of Kangoroo Land" is hilarious to me. XD

          Last Edited Fri 20 Dec 2024 10:10AM UTC

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21. onyx_rings_and_rose_glasses Tue 17 Dec 2024 04:01AM UTC

    

    i think having policies on ao3 that prohibit it from posting like typical social medias (ie anything not a fanwork) is preventing it from being considered social media

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22. CloudyLavenders Tue 17 Dec 2024 04:11AM UTC

    

    Not this specific bill, but if others that you've mentioned in the past were to affect Ao3, would you create another post talking about that? I don't really want to skim through the comments of a previous post and completely miss the OTW warning fans. I know it'd probably be in a seperate post, but I thought I'd ask.

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23. 1. OTW_News_Post_Moderation (Official) Tue 17 Dec 2024 05:21AM UTC

       

       Hello,

       Yes. While these bills won't affect AO3 or the OTW, we remain on the watch for issues that would affect us or our projects. In the event we are threatened, we will inform users.

       Best,
       Safa
       OTW News Post Moderator

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24. Chekaman Tue 17 Dec 2024 07:30AM UTC

    

    I don’t have a mobile phone as I don’t want one. Would this mean I have to try and get a credit card just to show who I am on social media?

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25. Hulayyy Tue 17 Dec 2024 07:41AM UTC

    

    Yeah, as much as I really want this to work (as watching the news and seeing reports on kids and teens commiting suicide is upsetting) i don't think it will. There's too many loopholes. Who says parents will actually comply and not let their kids on social media? And who says that kids won't just sneak it and lie about their age? Not to mention all the teens who will lose contact with their online friends. I'm lucky that it doesn't affect me, but it will affect my brother. They need to actually review it and get young people's opinions, as it's them who will be affected. And simply banning it won't work. There needs to be strict rules on what gets uploaded to social media, and people just simply need to be kinder too.

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