Facebook: No single solution for implementing age restrictions

A father is suing Facebook after his 12-year-old daughter posted “sexually explicit” photos on the social network. His main argument is that Facebook does not properly enforce its own policy for requiring users of the social network to be at least 13 years old. The writ alleges that Facebook is “guilty of negligence” and creates “a risk of sexual and physical harm” to the child.

I contacted Facebook for a statement, and the answer I received back was much more detailed than usual (read it in full below). Facebook obviously does not agree that it should be held accountable. The company insists that anyone who is concerned about an underage person on Facebook should report them by using the form provided, and it will remove them.

Of course, the father in question did that, but his daughter, who reportedly has behavioral problems, simply created another account and continued uploading photos. The father is seeking an injunction not only ordering Facebook to close down his daughter’s account but to stop her from opening another one. If that doesn’t happen, he wants to see Facebook stop operations in Northern Ireland.

Facebook, for its part, says it uses back-end end technology to try and prevent underage users from signing up again. Palo Alto would not elaborate how this system worked. It did note, however, that recent reports show it is difficult is to implement age restrictions on the Internet and that there is no single solution to ensuring younger children don’t circumvent a system or lie about their age.

Instead of implementing a strict system for age verification (the father’s lawyer suggested using a passport number), Facebook says it prefers to educate its users about safety instead. Facebook would have arguably not grown very quickly if signing up for the social network was a long process.

Palo Alto cites safety experts who say communication between parents and their kids about their use of the Internet is vital. The company points to recent updates to its safety and security offerings, including the Family Safety Center and social reporting tool (Photo Gallery). The social networking giant also notes it works with charity partners such as Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) and law enforcement agencies across the world.

The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) mandates that websites that collect information about users aren’t allowed to sign on anyone under the age of 13. As a result, Facebook’s Statement of Rights and Responsibilities require users of the social network to be at least 13 years old (and even older, in some jurisdictions).

Millions of preteens use the service anyway: some get permission from their parents to create an account while others lie about their age to get past sign-up restrictions. Four months ago, it was estimated that 7.5 million Facebook users are below the minimum age. To make matters even more worrying, more than 5 million were 10-years-old or younger.

The full statement Facebook sent me is below:

Anyone who is concerned about an underage person on Facebook should report them to us using the form provided and we will remove them.

Facebook is currently designed for two age groups (13-17 year olds and 18 and up), and we provide extensive safety and privacy controls based on the age provided. If someone reports an underage account to use then we will remove it, and use back-end end technology to try and prevent them signing up again. However, recent reports have highlighted just how difficult it is to implement age restrictions on the Internet and that there is no single solution to ensuring younger children don’t circumvent a system or lie about their age.

We invest heavily in educating people how to stay safe on Facebook both via our Family Safety Center and by working with charity partners such as FOSI (Family Online Safety Institute). We have good working relationships with law enforcement agencies across the world, including CEOP in the UK, and employ world class technology to help keep bad people and content off the site.

However, we agree with safety experts that communication between parents/guardians and kids about their use of the Internet is vital. We believe that services such as Facebook have a role to play in encouraging this: the recent announcements around social reporting and our safety center are testimonies to our ongoing efforts in ensuring we are giving detailed and helpful advice to help support these conversations. Just as parents are always teaching and reminding kids how to cross the road safely, talking about internet safety should be just as important a lesson to learn.

See also:

• Daughter posts sexually explicit photos, dad sues Facebook
• 7.5 million Facebook users are below the minimum age
• Mark Zuckerberg: Facebook minimum age limit should be removed
• Arrested: man planned sex with 12-year-old girl he met on Facebook
• Facebook bans 20,000 accounts daily

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10 tips for using Social media

Matt Hames has created a list of 10 tips to get your club’s social media presence up and running. This powerful ‘awareness’ option is a valuable one and it should be leveraged to help build the business at the community level.  Good luck with it and we will watch for your presence in this ‘social’ world!!

10 Tips For Using Social Media
by Matt Hames

Wading into the fast-moving flow of social media can be daunting to a curling club manager with very little time on their hands. It can be daunting. Here’s a list of ten things to think about before entering social media.

1. Tell the story of your curling facility.
Because multimedia is so integral to social media, getting connected allows you to express the best parts of the game specific to your club. This might simply mean going to Google and searching for your facility. When you find results, see how people see your club. Are the best attributes coming to the forefront?

But more importantly, the tools listed here are meant to show off what you know. This isn’t about creating an online brochure that is a website. This is more about using images, video, words, and other social media tools to prove that a night out once a week is worth the time and expense. We all agree it is.

2. Harness your uniqueness.
Chances are your club is full of people who love the game and love to talk about the game. Video is pretty easy. Interview your players on a weekly basis and post them to YouTube (see: creating a YouTube channel). If your club has history, ask them about it. Ask them why they curl.

3. Put members’ content to work.
Want to draw more traffic to your content? Help spread the word by encouraging visitors to share their experiences. Most of your membership is on Facebook. As example, post a flyer telling them to post their scores on Facebook.

4. See what people are saying about you or your category.
A place to start is a simple Google Alert. Create them for you, your club, and your category. When Google finds something, it sends you an e-mail. On top of that, you can do some quick searches for mentions of your club on Facebook, Twitter, and Yelp. These can lead to a gold mine of information about your club.

5. Videotape the action.
We have high definition cameras on our phones. A portable HD camera runs between $100 and $200. You should videotape the first games of the year, and the last ones. At worst, this can be on a loop on the TV when rentals come in. Then they can see people like them playing an actual game.

6. Target your online advertising.
Facebook and LinkedIn allow businesses to run ads that attract specific groups of users based on what information they included in their profiles. As example, by running Facebook ads targeted at students at specific colleges, you could potentially attract new curlers. Join local online ethnic groups on LinkedIn, and suggest your club as a meeting place.

7. Let your best players work for you.
Think of social media as a giant word-of-mouth opportunity. Your goal is to give as many of your members the opportunity to give you good word-of-mouth. If you create a YouTube channel, ask people to subscribe. If you create a Facebook page, ask people to like it.

8. Encourage contributions.
Most of your members have a high definition camera on their phone or in their pocket. Encourage them to film the table after the game. Create a mini-promotion whereby the best videos each month get a $30 credit. Let the members vote.

9. Don’t over-promote.
While social network users have proven to be open to marketing — especially if it involves a discount — they’re not flocking to Facebook or Twitter to hear sales pitches. Most of your membership in social media will come from members. Instead of selling them, think about giving them the tools to sell curling to their friends.

10. Don’t focus just online.
None of this is meant to stop you from picking up the phone, or going to local events. Think about renters. If you could get them to a YouTube channel or a Facebook page, what would you tell them? Would it be better to let members tell them about the game?

Related posts:

1. Get Social to Win a Custom Apple iPod Nano!
2. Official Rules and Regulations – Get Social to Win a Custom Apple iPod Nano

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