Social network logos display on a smartphone screen and the Australian flag appears on a computer screen in this photo illustration. NurPhoto via Getty ImagesBy Rod McGuirk / APNovember 26, 2024 6:03 AM ESTMELBOURNE, Australia How do you remove children from the harms of social media? Politically the answer appears simple in Australia, but practically the solution could be far more difficult.The Australian governments plan toban children from social mediaplatforms including X, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram until their 16th birthdays is politically popular. The opposition party says it would have done the same after winning elections due within months if the government hadnt moved first.The leaders of alleight Australian states and mainland territorieshave unanimously backed the plan, although Tasmania, the smallest state, would have preferred the threshold was set at 14.But a vocal assortment of experts in the fields of technology and child welfare have responded with alarm. More than 140 such experts signed anopen letterto Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemning the 16-year age limit as too blunt an instrument to address risks effectively.Details of how it will be implemented are scant. Lawmakers debated the bill in parliament this week, and it was expected to be passed into law with the support of major parties.Here's a look at how some Australians are viewing the issue.The concerned teenLeo Puglisi, a 17-year-old Melbourne student who founded online streaming service 6 News Australia at the age of 11, worries that lawmakers imposing the ban don't understand social media as well as young people at home in the digital age.With respect to the government and prime minister, they didnt grow up in the social media age, theyre not growing up in the social media age, and what a lot of people are failing to understand here is that, like it or not, social media is a part of peoples daily lives, Leo said.Its part of their communities, its part of work, its part of entertainment, its where they watch content young people arent listening to the radio or reading newspapers or watching free-to-air TV and so it cant be ignored. The reality is this ban, if implemented, is just kicking the can down the road for when a young person goes on social media, Leo added.Leo has been applauded for his work online. He was a finalist in his home state Victoria's nomination for theYoung Australian of the Yearaward, which will be announced in January. His nomination bid credits his platform with fostering a new generation of informed, critical thinkers.The grieving mom-turned-activistOne of the proposal's supporters, cyber safety campaigner Sonya Ryan, knows personally how dangerous social media can be for children.Her 15-year-old daughter Carly Ryan was murdered in 2007 in South Australia state by a 50-year-old pedophile who pretended to be a teenager online. In a grim milestone of the digital age, Carly was the first person in Australia to be killed by an online predator.Kids are being exposed to harmful pornography, theyre being fed misinformation, there are body image issues, theres sextortion, online predators, bullying. There are so many different harms for them to try and manage and kids just dont have the skills or the life experience to be able to manage those well, Sonya Ryan said.The result of that is were losing our kids. Not only what happened to Carly, predatory behavior, but also were seeing an alarming rise in suicide of young people, she added.Sonya Ryan is part of a group advising the government on a national strategy to prevent and respond to child sexual abuse in Australia.She wholeheartedly supports Australia setting the social media age limit at 16.Were not going to get this perfect, she said. We have to make sure that there are mechanisms in place to deal with what we already have which is an anxious generation and an addicted generation of children to social media."A major concern for social media users of all ages is the legislations potential privacy implications.Age estimation technology has proved inaccurate, so digital identification appears to be the most likely option for assuring a user is at least 16.The skeptical internet expertTama Leaver, professor of internet studies at Curtin University, fears that the government will make the platforms hold the users identification data.The government has already said the onus will be on the platforms, rather than on children or their parents, to ensure everyone meets the age limit.The worst possible outcome seems to be the one that the government may be inadvertently pushing towards, which would be that the social media platforms themselves would end up being the identity arbiter, Leaver said.They would be the holder of identity documents which would be absolutely terrible because they have a fairly poor track record so far of holding on to personal data well, he added.The platforms will have a year once the legislation has become law to work out how the ban can be implemented.Ryan, who divides her time between Adelaide in South Australia and Fort Worth, Texas, said privacy concerns should not stand in the way of removing children from social media.What is the cost if we dont? If we dont put the safety of our children ahead of profit and privacy? she asked.More Must-Reads from TIMEWhere Trump 2.0 Will Differ From 1.0How Elon Musk Became a KingmakerThe PowerAnd Limitsof Peer SupportThe 100 Must-Read Books of 2024Column: If Optimism Feels Ridiculous Now, Try HopeThe Future of Climate Action Is Trade PolicyFXs Say NothingIs the Must-Watch Political Thriller of 2024Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby DecisionContact us at letters@time.com