The government has now admitted

that it will not be possible to introduce "age verification" measures for some but not all. They are still pushing ahead with attempts to bring in a social media ban for everyone under the age of sixteen but the wider agenda, surveillance of everyone, is now becoming evident.

Years ago now there was an attempt to introduce a nationwide "identity card". It failed. It failed rightly because it went too far. We already have "Medicare" cards and they do the same sort of job. We also have an electoral system which requires people to be on the electoral roll. The few people who are not are  either non-citizens, of criminal intent or perhaps illiterate. The problem is not so large that those groups cannot be dealt with in ways other than a national identity card.

I have said nothing on social media which is likely to land me in prison. I have said nothing which is likely to make me subject to defamation. I have criticised of course, particularly with respect to some of our politicians but I have never said anything which is remotely like what has on occasion been said to me outside social media. 

It is very likely this is also true of the vast majority of people, including under sixteen year old young people. We are using a sledgehammer to try and eradicate a problem which is not going to go away. 

I would be less concerned by the potential impact of the legislation if we did not have the "other" bill in front of parliament as well. This morning it seems that one of the more respected constitutional law professors in this country is expressing concern. Professor Twomey is suggesting that bringing in "misinformation/disinformation" laws and doing it ineffectively will result in "large scale censorship".  I would go a step further and say the proposed law would not need to do it "ineffectively". It will simply do it. What we see, hear and say will be censored. It will be censored because someone will always have an opportunity to say, "This is wrong. Remove it." 

I see this legislation as dangerous and unworkable. It could actually lead to an "underground" of misinformation and disinformation but without the healthy debate which marks a more democratic society. 

Put both bills together and the question is going to be, "How do we teach young people to read the information they are given in ways which encourage them to think about it critically and question what they are reading?" If they cannot do that then we will also severely reduce their capacity to think creatively. That does not bode well for our future.