Telegram founder warns France may label tech firms as criminal gangs
X stated that the investigation jeopardizes user freedom of expression. Durov responded on the platform, saying, 'At this point, any tech company can be declared a 'criminal gang' in France.' He criticized the situation, adding, 'A decade of efforts to attract tech investment is being undone by a few bureaucrats advancing their careers and political agendas — at the expense of the French people.'
The controversy stems from a recent investigation launched by the Paris prosecutor's office into X's alleged algorithm manipulation. The case has sparked debates over regulatory overreach and its impact on tech innovation in France. - Bernama-Sputnik/RIA Novosti
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At what age did you get your first smartphone or sign up for social media? For many adults, it likely happened in their late teens or early twenties, but for kids today, their dive into the digital world often comes much earlier, at times even before they start schooling. Countless concerns have been raised on whether children are being exposed to too much, too soon, and the potentially detrimental long-term effects that may come alongside it. Countries like Australia and France have taken a hardline stance on the matter, with France passing a parental consent law for users under 15, and Australia's under-16 ban is set to be enforced in December. French President Emmanuel Macron has even said that the country would impose a further blanket ban on social media use for those under 15, should progress at the EU level to limit teenage screen time lag behind. 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'Globally, platforms struggle to enforce age restrictions effectively, often relying on self-declaration mechanisms that are easily circumvented. 'Enforcement tends to be weak unless backed by strong regulatory requirements and technology-based age assurance. 'Malaysia should expect platforms to strengthen their verification systems and should complement this with national efforts to raise awareness among parents and children about the importance of respecting these thresholds,' he said. Srividhya Ganapathy, the co-chairperson of the Child Rights Innovation and Betterment (CRIB) Foundation, on the other hand, advocated for a more serious approach, stressing that monitoring alone is not enough. 'In practice, children regularly create accounts long before the age of 13, often without any real safeguards in place. The so-called enforcement of age restrictions is inconsistent and largely symbolic. 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'Therefore, while benchmarks are important, the more urgent need is for better education and resources for parents and children to use these technologies responsibly and safely from an early age,' he said. While it's clear that smartphones and social media have a place, parental involvement and guidance are crucial, at least according to Allistair Adam Anak Nelson, a registered clinical psychologist and lecturer at the Taylor's University School of Liberal Arts and Sciences. He noted that research has drawn a link between the excessive use of social media and screen time at an early age with higher levels of depression, anxiety, poor sleep, body dissatisfaction and low self-esteem. These concerns are only heightened by exposure to things such as cyberbullying, unrealistic body standards, and the constant need for online validation. 'Childhood and early adulthood, roughly from the age of 10 to early 20s, is a time when the brain is still developing, especially in areas related to emotion regulation, self-control, and social awareness. 'This makes young people more vulnerable to the emotional highs and lows of social media. 'Age restrictions merely delay the exposure to age-inappropriate or harmful content, as many children can easily bypass them by entering false birthdates. Allistair Adam said thoughtful consideration is needed to develop healthy screen use. — Taylor's University 'Restrictions alone do not address the need for children to learn how to navigate the digital space safely and responsibly,' he said, further stressing the need for digital literacy. Allistair Adam added that it could come in the form of screen time boundaries set by parents, co-viewing content, open communication on media use, and modelling healthy digital habits. 'Children need more than just the ability to use a device – they must understand privacy, recognise safe content, and distinguish between reality and fantasy.' Meanwhile Raihan Munira Moh Sani, a lecturer with the Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation's School of Psychology (APU), said that these technologies should not be seen as being inherently harmful. 'When assessing a child's readiness for a smartphone or social media access, it is essential to look beyond age and consider developmental indicators. 'One important factor is social awareness and empathy, where children should be able to understand the impact of their words and actions on others and demonstrate respectful behaviour in both online and offline peer interactions. 'Equally important is their understanding of boundaries. This includes knowing what is appropriate to share online, recognising the importance of privacy, and being aware of screen time limits. 'These indicators reflect a child's ability to navigate digital spaces responsibly and safely,' she said. Clicking into childhood From Allistair Adam's point of view, there are no hard and fast rules on the 'right' age when it comes to children using things like smartphones, social media, or even engaging in online games. 'Often, smartphones are given to children as a digital pacifier to keep them calm or preoccupied, especially in public settings. 'While this may offer quick relief, developing healthy screen time usage requires more thoughtful consideration,' he said. Raihan Munira advised parents to look beyond age and consider developmental indicators to see if their kids are ready for screen use. — APU There are some guideposts available for parents to have a point of reference. 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From age six onwards, parents should set clear, consistent limits on both screen time and content, said Raihan Munira. — Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash 'But there's still a gap to close when it comes to teaching children not just how to use technology, but how to use it responsibly and safely,' she said. As Allistair Adam pointed out, 'studies from states such as Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Kedah show that most preschoolers are already using smartphones and other digital devices regularly'. One of the studies, 'Screen Media Dependency And Its Associated Factors Among Preschool Children In Kuala Lumpur' published in the Malaysian Journal Of Medicine And Health Sciences in May 2023, found that over 65% of preschoolers in Kuala Lumpur show signs of dependence on their devices. Another study, 'Determinants of Excessive Screen Time Among Children Under Five Years Old in Selangor, Malaysia: A Cross-Sectional Study' published in the International Journal Of Environmental Research And Public Health in March 2022, found that over 90% of preschoolers in Selangor exceed recommended screen time limits, underscoring a lack in digital maturity among Malaysian children when compared to their peers in countries with structured digital literacy programmes. 'This gap between access and readiness increases their vulnerability to digital dependency, cyberbullying, and misinformation. 'It highlights the need for nationwide digital literacy initiatives and child-focused online safety policies,' he said. Greater guidance Srividhya further called for concrete guidelines from the government that are 'clear, practical, and grounded in the realities of Malaysian families, not just borrowed from other jurisdictions or imposed in a top-down way'. 'There's too much uncertainty. Parents, schools, and even platforms are often left to interpret things for themselves, which leads to inconsistent decisions and, ultimately, children falling through the cracks.' She said that the country does not necessarily need new blanket laws, but rather a framework that provides guidance in the form of minimum standards that also offers some flexibility. This could come in the form of general suggestions for platforms based on age, and the specific kinds of digital competencies children need to access them, along with the responsibilities held by parents, educators, and platforms, she added. 'It's not just about when a child can go online – it's about how they should be supported when they do. 'Right now, our response to children's digital access tends to be reactive. A case goes viral, there's public outcry, and we start talking about bans or surveillance. 'But these approaches don't address the core issue: most children are getting online anyway – often unsupervised and unprepared. 'Without national guidelines that put child rights and child realities at the centre, we're just leaving families to figure it out on their own,' Srividhya said. For Allistair Adam, it comes down to ensuring that a child is emotionally prepared to engage with the digital world. 'For parents, assessing readiness involves observing whether the child can regulate their emotions, follow rules, manage screen time without being attached, recognise unsafe or inappropriate content, and communicate openly with their parents on their digital use. 'Children should also be able to balance screen time with other important daily activities such as schoolwork, play and family time. 'Policymakers, on the other hand, can support this by ensuring access to early digital literacy education, promoting age-appropriate platform design, and developing national guidelines that safeguard children's digital well-being. 'In the end, readiness is not just whether a child has the skills to manage screen time but whether they have received the right modelling, guidance, and support to use digital tools wisely – that should be the best indicator,' he said.
Borneo Post
8 minutes ago
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