Despite its objections, YouTube has now been included in Australia’s sweeping social media ban for under-16s after Australia’s eSafety Commissioner recommended it be added as it was “the most frequently cited platform” where children aged 10 to 15 years saw “harmful content”.
But can we regulate an algorithm?
Victoria University of Wellington Associate Professor Dr Peter Thompson told The Front Page he thinks there is a “legitimate concern” with kids encountering this tech.
“There have been a number of studies that have shown the tendency of algorithms, and particularly YouTube ones, to take people further and further down what we might call an ‘extremeist pathway’.
“The key thing is that the algorithm is proprietary, it’s owned by YouTube, and it’s there to keep our eyeballs on the screen because that’s how they make their money. They want us online because that’s how we get exposed to advertising and marketing opportunities,” he said.
When it comes to regulating online behemoths like YouTube, Thompson said he doesn’t think we’ve tried hard enough.
“But, if we take the Christchurch Call, for example, they’ve put in some incredibly sophisticated software for picking up on problematic content. It can’t stop someone from posting terrible material like the terrorist video in the first place, but it picks it up quickly now.
“So, there are things we can do, and I think there are other options out there. We could look at a closer identification of who’s using these accounts, and age verification.
“I think labelling is an underrated exercise in media regulation because we know from studies by the BSA and the Classification Office that people really do use those labels. So if something is labelled R18... you have built in systems where someone can only access adult content if they have an account that signals they’re an adult.
“That will cut out a very, very large range of potentially harmful exposures. It’s not perfect. If you’re a terrorist and you’re trying to livestream your act of terrorism, you’re very unlikely to give advance notice that you’ve got an R18 video coming up.... But, would we all rest a little more peacefully knowing that our children are more likely to be playing in a safe sandbox with those protections?”
Listen to the full episode to hear more about:
- Regulating kids’ access to YouTube.
- Free speech vs. harm reduction.
- What other countries are doing to curb harmful content.
- What New Zealand should do next.
The Front Page is a daily news podcast from the New Zealand Herald, available to listen to every weekday from 5am. The podcast is presented by Chelsea Daniels, an Auckland-based journalist with a background in world news and crime/justice reporting who joined NZME in 2016.
You can follow the podcast at iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
