Finland to end "uncontrolled human experiment" with ban on youth social media
by Teever on 1/31/2026, 5:06:22 PM
Comments
by: andix
Modern social media is nothing like social media in early days (myspace, early Facebook and even early Instagram). Back then it was a platform to communicate with friends, and maybe even find new friends to meet up with.<p>Today social media is more like a drug, to keep the user engaged and to push content to them. The content must either be addictive/engaging or paid advertisements. Quality of the content doesn't matter at all. Connecting people to do stuff outside of the virtual world would actually hurt their business model. People turn off their devices and go outside, instead of watching ads.<p>So it's probably fine to just block the big platforms. Forums or messengers (without ads and public channels) are probably fine. Probably even Reddit - which does have an algorithm to show specific content - is not as bad.
1/31/2026, 7:33:17 PM
by: Tade0
I'm eternally grateful that the social media network that I was part of throughout my teenage years abruptly disappeared from the internet, never to come back again.<p>Some say it was a technical failure during migration when the company was trying to pivot to file hosting, but it's impossible to verify.<p>Perhaps these bans are a blessing in disguise and future generations will be happy to not have their most awkward stage of life available forever, to everyone, in detail.
1/31/2026, 6:19:20 PM
by: bilsbie
Noble goal but it ends up being a defacto internet license. All ages need to show id to use sites and services.
1/31/2026, 7:29:42 PM
by: mjevans
I'm fine with this, as long as they DO NOT require any form of ID or 'age' verification.<p>Instead this should be attacked from the profit side, by banning any form of advertising which might target children. If there's no profit to be made in servicing said demographic and a law requesting at least end user 'agreement' that they are an adult, this should be sufficient.
1/31/2026, 6:05:33 PM
by: digiown
I secretly wish it would use a verification scheme that's so invasive/annoying, that even adults would stop using it anyway.
1/31/2026, 6:17:34 PM
by: helsinkiandrew
The headline is missing an important “looks to”. Politicians and public opinion seem to be in favour.<p>> Finland looks to end "uncontrolled human experiment" with Australia-style ban on social media
1/31/2026, 5:54:44 PM
by: zhug3
The phrase "uncontrolled human experiment" is doing interesting rhetorical work here. It frames the status quo as the experiment and regulation as the control—when historically it's been the reverse.
1/31/2026, 6:37:46 PM
by: OsamaJaber
The real question is enforcement They tried this, and kids just moved to platforms nobody knew existed
1/31/2026, 7:02:37 PM
by: rendall
The impression that one might get from this article is that the ban is essentially a done deal, but it’s not. What exists right now is political signaling by Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, plus preliminary fact-finding and position papers by ministries and agencies, but no enacted legislation. There’s still a big gap between "government floats an idea with broad public support" and "a legally enforceable, technically workable ban".<p>The Finnish language article about it is much thinner.<p><a href="https://yle.fi/a/74-20204177" rel="nofollow">https://yle.fi/a/74-20204177</a>
1/31/2026, 7:55:07 PM
by: ottah
Never accept the bullshit false dichotomy of people pushing an agenda. There are many, many ways to solve this issue other than the nuclear option of a ban and doing nothing.
1/31/2026, 7:54:35 PM
by: verdverm
How long before the kids use Ai to build their own?
1/31/2026, 7:29:58 PM
by: seydor
Are adults any better? Not sure the ban is a productive way to go about it.
1/31/2026, 7:02:02 PM
by: stackbutterflow
Maybe it's time to start auditing social network platforms and disallow certain practices.
1/31/2026, 6:39:36 PM
by: hiprob
Are they going to conduct an uncontrolled human experiment by requiring age checks to use the Internet (read: surveillance capitalism and Orwellian lack of privacy)?
1/31/2026, 6:58:57 PM
by: throwaway613746
I just wish this was possible somehow without essentially making corporate mass-surveillance a requirement.
1/31/2026, 6:36:41 PM
by: drdaeman
How do they even define “social media”? Do they just ban kids from participating in society using electronic communications? Or maintain a stoplist “here’s what we consider to be social media”? Or what?<p>I mean, sure, prime examples of what is colloquially called “social media” is crapware. I do get the intent.<p>But I wonder what sort of unintended, unplanned, odd and potentially even socially harmful consequences it would possibly have.
1/31/2026, 6:44:02 PM
by: malklera
Do parents do not exist? I mean if the parents pass hours looking at their phone, the kids would want to use a phone, maybe making a law is easier than setting an example? Each parent could educate themselves and bloc "harmful" websites from their kids phones, that is what parental control is for.(single, no kids)
1/31/2026, 7:47:53 PM
by: mytailorisrich
"<i>FISTA has taken advantage of the law change, brought in last August, which allows schools to restrict or completely ban the use of mobile phones during school hours.</i>"<p>I find it interesting that a law change was needed to <i>allow</i> schools to do this.
1/31/2026, 5:12:31 PM
by: Noaidi
Can we be it for adults now? Seriously, can we?<p>I mean, if it affects a children’s what makes we think it doesn’t affect adults? Alcohol affects children, and it affects adults. If social media affects children, it also affects adults.<p>The big live social media was it was meant to connect people but in truth, it was designed to control people.
1/31/2026, 6:59:35 PM
by: Aeolun
Is it really so controversial to ban it entirely? We ban heroin and other hard drugs.<p>I think most people are better off, and have a more nuanced view of reality if the only news they get is local. Or the updates from people they know always in person.
1/31/2026, 6:40:05 PM