Should Facebook be banned for under 18s? [ENDS 08/04/2012]

[GommeInc]

The government and sites like this should take responsibility too. Everybody should take steps to safeguard our children!

Simply don't have children if you can't raise them properly. Any child psychologist would argue that smuthering them from progressive technologies like Facebook is just going to make them sniverling little messes in the future. The Government has no jurisdiction, a proper education on online security and safety is key and I hope schools are teaching children about this modern day issue that affects everyone. Facebook has all the security steps in place already - you set your profile to invisible so it doesn't appear in search results as well as any other information, or simply advise children not to add anything that gives too much away. Facebook could set up systems to aid parents who want to further protect themselves and their children, but it shouldn't feel pressured by nanny-state Governments who have more important things to do.

[Deeb]

I think governments should pressure social networking sites to take steps to aid parents into making sure their children are safe online. Some parents also are not educated enough on online safety, I know myself from experience that this is strongly enforced in schools but the fact is, the internet is not a safe place and parents cannot stop that.

At the end of the day, the government are responsible for keeping us safe, especially the younger generations - that's why we pay tax.

[Catchy]

The government and sites like this should take responsibility too. Everybody should take steps to safeguard our children!

I am sorry but this is absolutely rubbish. Children are parents responsibility... Therefore they should be making sure that their children are properly protected. Anyway most kids have Facebook now days anyway, can't remember the last horror story I've heard about children and Facebook for a long time, actually I don't even think I've heard any?

Facebook aren't liable if anything were to happen and they shouldn't be either.

[Deeb]

I didn't say they are liable or should be liable - the point I'm tryin to getting across is that parents have no control over the safety of the Internet and is impossile to monitor their activity 24/7

[MotorStefan95]

Also how can you categorize under 13s and say this? Where is your evidence to support your statement that a lot of under 13s don't understand what Facebook is for and click every link on it? My brother is 11 years of age and understands Facebook and what it is for and certainly does not click every link. I don't understand how this could be a viable reason to think that under 13s shouldn't be allowed to use Facebook anyway:L

I said a lot of them, not all of them. I know this because many of the younger people in my school click on loads of links.
You could also say it is a problem with there security. There are many threats on the internet and this is not explained enough to younger users. Facebook is in part responsible for the amount of people getting hacked. There security is not very good for a multi million company.

[Paige.]

I said a lot of them, not all of them. I know this because many of the younger people in my school click on loads of links.
You could also say it is a problem with there security. There are many threats on the internet and this is not explained enough to younger users. Facebook is in part responsible for the amount of people getting hacked. There security is not very good for a multi million company.

I know you said a lot of them, not all of them...

Where is your evidence to support your statement that a lot of under 13s don't understand what Facebook

Knowing that many of the younger people in your school click loads of links doesn't prove that a lot of under 13s do this as the percentage of the younger people in your school who do this isn't even a quarter of how many under 13s use Facebook. I agree that there are many threats on the internet but those threats not only effect under 13s, they also effect adults as they are at equal risk. Also the statement you made 'this is not explained enough to young users' is wrong as younger Facebook users are given the most education on internet safety and arguable, more than the adults as they don't tend to be told about internet safety as people assume that they already know. How can you say that Facebook is part responsible for the amount of people getting hacked? Where is your evidence to support this statement? Their security wouldn't be a reason for Facebook not to allow under 13s to use it because it would also effect those over 13 so in turn, you're saying that nobody should use Facebook as their security isn't good enough?

[-:Undertaker:-]

The government and sites like this should take responsibility too. Everybody should take steps to safeguard our children!

I don't have a responsibility to your children in the slightest, neither does Mark Zuckerberg.

Only you have responsibility for your children.

[e5]

Easy - No. Facebook privatises younger kids fairly well. It's up to the parents to allow their kids on facebook and to monitor their activity.

[Deeb]

I don't have a responsibility to your children in the slightest, neither does Mark Zuckerberg.

Only you have responsibility for your children.

I didn't say that you had responsibility over anybody's child

What I said was the government must take steps to safeguard our children and their private information. That's why we have data protection laws, that's why we have police. Now the government should also police the Internet for young users

[GommeInc]

I didn't say that you had responsibility over anybody's child

What I said was the government must take steps to safeguard our children and their private information. That's why we have data protection laws, that's why we have police. Now the government should also police the Internet for young users

But you're suggesting others should take responsibility over other peoples children by saying the Government should intervene, when the only intervention should be through the education system. Children are not going to learn about privacy and the internet if the nanny-state ideology traps them in a safety net, when already existent laws the Government have created could be easily taught in schools - which I really hope is taught in schools, considering how it is one of the most important things in todays internet-oriented society.

Besides, it would be a complete waste of money for the Government to police the internet IF the children are not taught how to use it, something policing never does until a crime is committed.