Under-16 social media ban: Teenagers say VPNs and fake ages could bypass rules

New Zealand is exploring a ban on social media use for individuals under 16, a move intended to safeguard young people's well-being. However, teenagers themselves express skepticism about the potential effectiveness of such restrictions.

Many young people believe they could easily circumvent the proposed rules. They point to readily available tools like Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and the simple act of providing a fake birthdate as common methods to bypass age gates on social media platforms. This suggests that any ban might struggle to achieve its intended purpose without more robust enforcement mechanisms.

The debate highlights a growing concern among governments worldwide about the impact of social media on adolescent mental health and development. While the intention behind the ban is to create a safer online environment for minors, the practical challenges of enforcement and the ingenuity of young users in finding workarounds present significant hurdles.

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VPNs and fake birthdays could make the restrictions easy to evade.