The wide-ranging impact of Australia's new social media ban for children under 16 — the first of its kind in the world — is already being felt at home and abroad, especially for major platforms that have controversially allowed children full access.
澳大利亚针对16岁以下儿童实施的新社交媒体禁令。此类禁令是全球首例，其广泛影响已在国内外显现，尤其对那些曾引发争议地允许儿童全面使用平台的巨头企业造成冲击。
The ambitious move to improve online safety governance for youngsters, which took effect on Dec 10, requires major platforms like Instagram, Facebook, X, Snapchat, TikTok, Reddit, and YouTube to enforce the new legislation. They face fines of up to A$49.5 million ($32.9 million) if they take no reasonable steps to prevent underage users from holding accounts with them.
这项旨在加强青少年网络安全监管的重大举措已于12月10日生效，要求Instagram、Facebook、X、Snapchat、TikTok、Reddit和YouTube等主流平台执行新法规。若未能采取合理措施阻止未成年用户注册账户，这些平台将面临最高4950万澳元（约合3290万美元）的罚款。
The ban follows a major survey which revealed how social media is negatively affecting the life satisfaction of Australian high school students. The study, led by the Australian National University, looked at the impact of regular use of social media platforms on life satisfaction levels for students nationwide. It found most participants reported regularly using at least one social media platform, while nearly one in five young people actively post or share social media content at least once a day.
这项禁令出台前，一项重大调查揭示了社交媒体如何对澳大利亚高中生的生活满意度产生负面影响。由澳大利亚国立大学主导的研究，考察了社交媒体平台的常规使用对全国学生生活满意度的影响。调查发现，大多数参与者表示会定期使用至少一个社交媒体平台，而近五分之一的年轻人每天至少主动发布或分享一次社交媒体内容。
Most major platforms have said that they would comply with the law. Video service provider TikTok said in a statement it has a range of methods for compliance including facial age estimation, credit card authorization, and government-approved identification.
大多数主流平台均表示将遵守该法律。视频服务提供商TikTok在声明中称，其已采取多种合规措施，包括面部年龄估算、信用卡授权以及政府认可的身份验证。
YouTube said it would make changes to how it operates in Australia under the ban, adding it is committed to finding "a better path forward to keep kids safe online". "We believe a more effective approach is one that empowers parents, rather than stripping away their choices, and allows kids to continue to derive the immense benefits of digital environments while protecting them from harm," it said in a statement.
YouTube表示，在禁令实施期间将调整其在澳大利亚的运营方式，并承诺致力于寻找“更佳方案保障儿童网络安全”。该公司声明称：“我们认为更有效的方式是赋予家长更多选择权而非剥夺其选择权，让儿童在享受数字环境巨大益处的同时获得有效保护。”
Legal action
法律举措
On Friday, message board website Reddit filed a lawsuit in Australia's highest court seeking to overturn the country's social media ban for children. The San Francisco-based firm, which ranks Australia among its biggest markets, said in the High Court filing that the ban should be declared invalid because it interfered with free political communication implied by the country's constitution.
周五，社交论坛网站Reddit向澳大利亚最高法院提起诉讼，要求推翻该国针对儿童的社交媒体禁令。这家总部位于旧金山的公司将澳大利亚列为其最大市场之一，在向最高法院提交的文件中称，该禁令应被宣布无效，因为它干涉了该国宪法所暗示的政治自由交流。
A spokesperson for Communications Minister Anika Wells, who was named as the defendant along with the Commonwealth of Australia, said the federal government was "on the side of Australian parents and kids, not platforms" and would "stand firm to protect young Australians from experiencing harm on social media", Reuters reported.
据路透社报道，美国通讯部长安妮卡·韦尔斯（Anika Wells）的发言人表示，联邦政府“站在澳大利亚家长和孩子这一边，而非平台方”，并将“坚定立场，保护澳大利亚青少年免受社交媒体伤害”。Wells与澳大利亚联邦政府共同被列为本案被告。
Health Minister Mark Butler said Reddit filed the lawsuit to protect profits, not young people's right to political expression, and "we will fight this action every step of the way". "It is action we saw time and time again by Big Tobacco against tobacco control and we are seeing it now by some social media or Big Tech giants," Butler told reporters.
澳大利亚卫生部长马克·巴特勒表示，Reddit提起诉讼是为了保护利润，而非捍卫年轻人的政治表达权，并称“我们将全力抵制这一诉讼的每一步行动”。巴特勒向记者表示：“这是大型烟草公司屡次采取的反烟草管制手段，如今某些社交媒体或科技巨头也在效仿。”
One Reddit user said in a message-board post: "Our son can no longer access his apps — this has already had a profound effect … Normally he would be consumed with his phone, watching mind-numbing videos."
一位Reddit用户在论坛帖子中写道：“我们的儿子现在无法使用他的应用程序，这已经产生了深远影响……平常他会沉迷于手机，看那些令人麻木的视频。”
In a radio interview a day after the ban took effect, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said online safety regulators from the eSafety Commissioner are looking at accounts in line with the new legislation. "So they'll look at what the impact is and then every month for six months they'll have to report," he said.
禁令生效次日，澳大利亚总理安东尼·阿尔巴尼斯在电台采访中表示，电子安全专员办公室的网络安全监管人员正依据新法规审查相关账户。他表示：“他们将评估影响，并在接下来的六个月内每月提交报告。”
Albanese also acknowledged the challenges implementation of the ban faces.
安东尼·阿尔巴尼斯也承认实施禁令面临的挑战。
"Some people will get around it, just as chances are this Saturday night an under 18-year-old will get a beer in a pub somewhere. That doesn't mean that society doesn't set these rules, and these processes, in order to keep our youngest Australians safe," he said.
他表示：“有些人会钻空子，就像这个周六晚上，某个酒吧里很可能会有未满18岁的未成年人喝到啤酒。但这并不意味着社会没有制定这些规则和流程来保护我们最年轻的澳大利亚人。”
"We'll be sensible about it … we're talking of over a million accounts across platforms. We don't expect it to all be done perfectly, but we do expect the law provides for them to do their best endeavors."
安东尼·阿尔巴尼斯接着说到：“我们会审慎处理此事……毕竟涉及跨平台超过百万个账户。我们不指望一切都能完美解决，但法律要求他们尽最大努力。”
Praise, wariness
赞美，警惕
Julian Sefton-Green, a professor of new media education at Deakin University, said the ban was "inspiring legislation".
迪肯大学新媒体教育教授朱利安·塞夫顿-格林（Julian Sefton-Green）称这项禁令是“鼓舞人心的立法”。
"It's designed to raise questions … It's designed to make families and young people talk in different ways," he said.
他表示：“禁令的初衷是引发思考……旨在让家庭和年轻人以不同的方式展开对话。”
"So I think the significance of this law might be that it changes the power of these huge multinational global platforms, which are to a very great extent unaccountable, unregulated, and not owned by individual national countries, and it will raise a lot of questions about what individual countries can do in respect of these large multinational companies," Sefton-Green, who is also a member of the Australian eSafety Commissioner's advisory group that explores the implementation and outcomes of the nation's social media minimum age legal obligations, told China Daily.
同时担任澳大利亚电子安全专员顾问组成员的朱利安·塞夫顿-格林（Julian Sefton-Green）向《中国日报》表示：“因此我认为这项法律的意义可能在于改变这些庞大全球性跨国平台的权力格局——它们在很大程度上不受问责、不受监管，且不属于任何单一国家所有。这将引发诸多思考：各国政府面对这些大型跨国企业究竟能采取哪些有效措施？”澳大利亚电子安全专员顾问小组负责研究该国社交媒体最低年龄法律义务的实施情况及成效。
But Catherine Archer, a senior lecturer and researcher in social media at Edith Cowan University, said many academics feel children and teens were not consulted widely enough before the legislation was announced.
但伊迪丝考恩大学社交媒体高级讲师兼研究员凯瑟琳·阿彻（Catherine Archer）指出，许多学者认为在立法公布前，对儿童和青少年的意见征询不够充分。
"The ban could cause anxiety and other mental issues for teens. They will face uncertainty over the school holidays on how to keep in contact with their friends and be entertained and informed on their regular platforms," Archer said via the Scimex science information portal.
凯瑟琳·阿彻（Catherine Archer）通过Scimex科学资讯门户网站表示：“这项禁令可能引发青少年焦虑及其他心理问题。他们将在假期面临不确定性，不知如何与朋友保持联系，也无法通过常用平台获取娱乐和资讯。”
"Teens are starting to think of ways around the ban, and the concern is that they may go to 'darker' places on the web. Messaging apps like WhatsApp won't be under the ban, so bullying may still occur," she said.
她表示：“青少年正开始寻找规避禁令的方法，令人担忧的是他们可能会转向网络上更‘阴暗’的角落。WhatsApp等即时通讯应用不受禁令限制，因此网络欺凌仍可能发生。”
"The effectiveness is yet to be tested. Some adults are worried that it will lead to more data and surveillance, as age testing is not foolproof."
她接着说到：“该措施的有效性尚待检验。部分成年人担忧这将导致更多数据收集和监控，因为年龄检测并非万无一失。“
Some teenagers have expressed concern over the ban, according to the Australian Associated Press.
据澳大利亚联合通讯社报道，一些青少年对这项禁令表示焦虑。
It cited the example of Carlee Jade Clements, 15, an influencer from Melbourne with 37,000 Instagram followers who was still on the platform two days from the ban's effective date. Clements spent years building her Instagram presence, with her mother managing the account, but fears the new rules will impact her income and opportunities, AAP reported.
该报道以15岁的墨尔本网红卡莉·杰德·克莱门茨（Carlee Jade Clements）为例，这位拥有3.7万Instagram粉丝的博主在禁令生效前两天仍活跃于该平台。据澳大利亚联合通讯社报道，克莱门茨耗费数年时间经营Instagram账号（由其母亲管理），但现在她担忧新规将影响她的收入与发展机会。
Two teenagers representing an Australian libertarian group filed another suit last month against such a ban, according to Reuters.
据路透社报道，两名代表澳大利亚自由意志主义团体的青少年上月就该禁令提起另一项诉讼。
Tama Leaver, a professor of internet studies at Curtin University, said that no matter how people feel about the ban or social media, the feelings and responses of teens losing access to social media must be taken seriously.
西澳大利亚珀斯科廷大学互联网研究教授塔玛·利弗（Tama Leaver）表示，无论人们对禁令或社交媒体持何种看法，青少年失去社交媒体使用权限所产生的情绪和反应都必须被严肃对待。
"Parents and trusted adults need to listen to young people, to support them, and not dismiss what social media may have meant to them," Leaver said.
塔玛·利弗（Tama Leaver）表示：“父母和可信赖的成年人需要倾听年轻人的心声，给予他们支持，不要轻视社交媒体对他们可能产生的意义。”
The ban may well reduce some risks, he said, but "cyberbullying will still exist — messaging platforms are mostly exempt from the ban. Untrustworthy adults may still be able to find ways to reach and speak to teens across almost any platform."
利弗表示，这项禁令或许能降低某些风险，但“网络欺凌仍将存在——即时通讯平台大多不受禁令约束。不可靠的成年人仍可能找到途径，在几乎任何平台上接触并与青少年对话。”
"The job of helping young people learn to navigate the digital world safely is ongoing, and helping teens continue that conversation matters. Opening a door so young people have someone to turn to if they experience something challenging, confronting or terrible online, is vital."
利弗表示：“帮助年轻人安全地探索数字世界是一项持续的工作，而引导青少年持续参与相关对话至关重要。为年轻人敞开大门，让他们在遭遇网络挑战、冲突或可怕经历时能获得支持，这具有关键意义。”
Sabrina Caldwell, senior lecturer from the School of Systems and Computing at UNSW Canberra, said the new social media ban "won't work perfectly, but it can work imperfectly".
新南威尔士大学堪培拉校区系统与计算学院高级讲师萨布丽娜·考德威尔（Sabrina Caldwell）表示，这项新的社交媒体禁令“不会完美奏效，但可以不完美地发挥作用”。
"Some young people will find ways to circumvent the restrictions. However, even if they find a way to sneak online, they will not find most of their peers there, and this will detract significantly from the social media experience," Caldwell said.
Caldwell表示：“一些年轻人会想方设法绕过限制。然而，即使他们找到偷偷上网的途径，也无法在网上找到大多数同龄人，这将极大削弱社交媒体体验。
Bigger issues
更重大的问题
An Australian Broadcasting Corporation survey of more than 17,000 youngsters aged under 16 about the ban, found one-quarter would stop using social media.
澳大利亚广播公司针对1.7万多名16岁以下青少年开展的禁令调查显示，四分之一受访者表示将停止使用社交媒体。
Twenty-two percent of social media users said they were unsure if the ban would be effective, while 72 percent said they did not think it would work, according to the poll.
调查显示，22%的社交媒体用户表示不确定禁令是否有效，而72%的用户认为禁令不会奏效。
Associate Professor Katie Wood, an expert in clinical psychology at Swinburne University of Technology, questioned the ban's role in addressing the "clear negative impacts on mental health and well-being" from excessive social media.
斯威本科技大学临床心理学专家凯蒂·伍德（Katie Wood）副教授质疑这项禁令能否有效应对过度使用社交媒体对心理健康和幸福感造成的“明显负面影响”。
"While more research is needed to fully answer this question, parents will need support to work with their children to find ways to manage the ban," Wood said.
伍德表示：“虽然需要更多研究才能彻底解答这个问题，但家长需要支持来协助孩子寻找应对禁令的方法。”
"There is a risk that children will find other ways to access social platforms and become sneakier about it. Parents will need to be vigilant about this as well as any emotional and social fallout."
伍德称：“会存在这样的风险：孩子们可能会另辟蹊径接触社交平台，且手段会变得更加隐蔽。家长不仅需要对此保持警惕，还需关注由此引发的情感与社交问题。”
Tom Sulston, head of policy at Digital Rights Watch, a group that advocates protection of Australians' digital rights, told China Daily that despite the ban, bullies, abusers, and predators will not go away.
数字权利观察组织政策主管汤姆·苏尔斯顿向《中国日报》表示，尽管实施了禁令，但欺凌者、施虐者和掠夺者不会就此消失。该组织致力于保护澳大利亚人的数字权利。
"They will merely follow young people onto the platforms that they are allowed to use. At the same time, young people will be discouraged from seeking help as they may feel they are doing something they shouldn't be."
苏尔斯顿表示：“他们只会跟随年轻人进入被允许使用的平台。与此同时，年轻人会因担心自己正在做不该做的事而不敢寻求帮助。”
Demanding ID from people to use simple internet systems is likely to cause an increase in identity theft, as Australians become habituated to entering their ID around the internet and potentially into criminal honeypots, Sulston said.
苏尔斯顿指出，要求民众在使用简单互联网系统时提供身份证明，很可能导致身份盗窃案件激增。因为澳大利亚人逐渐习惯在网络各处输入个人身份信息，这些信息可能落入犯罪分子的陷阱。
Considering the ban's potential impact on other parts of the world, Sulston said his hope and expectation is that "countries will look at Australia's experiment on young people's ability to communicate with each other and treat it as a cautionary tale".
考虑到这项禁令可能对世界其他地区产生的影响，苏尔斯顿表示，他希望并期待“各国能关注澳大利亚这项关于年轻人相互交流能力的实验，并将其视为一个警示案例”。
"Instead, they will opt to regulate social media companies to remove the harms, rather than remove the young people. We need to stop social media companies from using their algorithms to profit from spreading hate, lies, and division. That is what we should be regulating, rather than the age of the users," he said.
他如是说：“可另作他选的是，可以选择监管社交媒体公司以消除危害，而非驱逐年轻人。我们必须阻止社交媒体公司利用算法从传播仇恨、谎言和分裂中牟利。这才是我们应当监管的对象，而非用户的年龄。”
Sefton-Green said it will also "encourage other countries to stand up against these social media firms, to try to say that the norms of behavior we see in our society should be norms for which national governments take responsibility".
塞夫顿-格林（Sefton-Green）表示，该实验还将“鼓励其他国家挺身对抗这些社交媒体公司，力图表明我们社会中的行为准则应当成为各国政府应承担责任的规范”。
Prime Minister Albanese said the "world is not only watching, the world is following".
澳大利亚总理安东尼·阿尔巴尼斯表示：“世界不仅在关注，更在追随。”
Professor Michael Salter from the School of Social Sciences, Arts, Design and Architecture at the University of New South Wales, said the ban is still "an unfortunate but necessary step to protect children from escalating levels of online sexual abuse and exploitation".
新南威尔士大学社会科学、艺术、设计与建筑学院的迈克尔·索尔特（Michael Salter）教授表示，这项禁令仍是“一项不幸但必要的措施，旨在保护儿童免受日益严重的网络性虐待和剥削”。
"Globally, 300 million children experience online sexual abuse each year, and the majority of this occurs on social media platforms," said Salter, who is director of Childlight UNSW, the Australasian hub of Childlight, the Global Child Safety Institute, which undertakes research on the impact of child sexual abuse and exploitation.
作为全球儿童安全研究所旗下机构Childlight的澳大拉西亚中心新南威尔士大学Childlight项目主任迈克尔·索尔特（Michael Salter），他长期致力于研究儿童性虐待与剥削的影响。他表示：“全球每年有3亿儿童遭受网络性虐待，其中大部分发生在社交媒体平台上。”
"Social media companies have consistently prioritized growth and engagement over child protection. Age restrictions are a necessary circuit breaker for a sector where voluntary industry action has failed," he said.
Salter表示：“社交媒体公司始终将增长和用户参与度置于儿童保护之上。在行业自发行动未能奏效的领域，年龄限制是必要的保护机制。”
Rachael Sharman, a senior psychology lecturer at University of the Sunshine Coast, said that while the logistics of the ban remain under question, the move, if successful, "will give parents and families the opportunity to reclaim childhood, and ensure the building blocks of the brain are set in place before exposure to what has proved to be a most pernicious influence".
阳光海岸大学心理学高级讲师瑞秋·夏曼（Rachael Sharman）指出，尽管禁令的实施细节仍存争议，但若该举措得以成功推行，“将使家长和家庭有机会重新夺回童年时光，确保大脑发育的关键阶段在接触已被证实具有极大危害性的影响之前得到健全发展”。
"I suspect the rest of the world is taking such an extraordinary interest in this Australian initiative, to see when and how they can best follow suit for the improved wellbeing of their future generations," Sharman said.
Sharman表示：“我怀疑世界其他国家之所以对这项澳大利亚倡议表现出如此非凡的兴趣，是为了观察何时以及如何才能最好地效仿，从而为子孙后代创造更美好的福祉。”
Germany, Denmark, New Zealand and Malaysia are already considering policies concerning access to social media by teenagers.
德国、丹麦、新西兰和马来西亚已开始考虑制定青少年使用社交媒体的相关政策。
circuit breaker
保护机制
algorithms
n./ˈæl.ɡə.rɪ.ðəm/
算法
pernicious
adj./pɚˈnɪʃ.əs/
有害的
social fallout
社交影响
circumvent
v./ˌsɝː.kəmˈvent/
规避
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