# Kids outsmart social media bans. That's fine.

> France, the UK and EU are banning minors from social media, but Australia's experience shows age restrictions don't work.
- Title: Kids outsmart social media bans. That's fine. | Shortify
- Summary: France, the UK and EU are banning minors from social media, but Australia's experience shows age restrictions don't work. Social media bans for children are…
- Keywords: social media, age restrictions, child safety, france, australia, tiktok, facebook, technology, science, Kids, outsmart, social
- Source: MIT Technology Review — https://technologyreview.com/2026/10/16/1146864/the-download-failed-social-media-bans-and-extending-pets-lives
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: social media, age restrictions, child safety, france, australia, uk, eu, tiktok, facebook, technology, science
## France bans social media for under-fifteens
In July, France joined Australia in restricting minors from accessing social media, barring children under fifteen from major platforms. The ban was later blocked by France's top court on human rights grounds.
## UK and EU follow with their own bans
The UK aims to forbid kids under sixteen from accessing Facebook, TikTok and other platforms in early twenty twenty-seven. The EU has announced its own plan to prohibit social media for kids under fifteen.
## Australia's ban shows the problem
Early lessons from Australia, which enacted a ban in twenty twenty-four, show that these sorts of age restrictions are easily circumvented. Children find ways around the rules.
## What should be done instead
Rather than bans that kids outsmart, experts suggest different approaches to keep children safe online. The article points to alternative strategies worth considering.
## Pet owners face new life extension choices
Almost thirty years after losing her cat Peppy, pet owners now have expanding options to potentially prolong their years with furry companions. These include drugs, cloning and even cryonics.
## But is extending pets' lives a good thing
Biotech offers new ways to keep pets alive longer, but the article questions whether that is actually beneficial. The promises and pitfalls of pet life extension deserve careful consideration.
## Form Energy's iron batteries store power longer
Form Energy has developed batteries using iron that can store energy for one hundred hours. The company uses a process called reversible rusting to make renewable power more reliable.
## Insurance becomes AI's next big problem
AI companies are racking up billions of dollars of legal liabilities from the damage their products cause. The FTC has sent subpoenas to OpenAI and Anthropic over consumer harms.
## Wildlife tunnels don't always save animals
In the mid-two-thousands, toads near Ede in the Netherlands were dying on roads. Residents built wildlife tunnels beneath the road to help them reach breeding ponds safely.
## But the toad population still crashed
A few years later, researchers found the local toad population had crashed from more than ten thousand to fewer than one thousand. The case reflects a wider question about whether animal infrastructure actually helps.
## Women in tech face a backlash
Startup founder Sara Mauskopt says supporting women in tech has become controversial and political. The cancellation of the Grace Hopper Celebration, one of the biggest gatherings of women in tech, hits hard.

> Tech companies used to make an effort to support women. Now we've swung completely in the opposite direction. Supporting women in tech has become controversial. It's become political. It's become risky.
## Key takeaway

Social media bans for children are spreading across democracies, but early evidence from Australia shows they are easily circumvented.