Link/
Archive
Australia thinks GitHub is as risky for kids as TikTok
GitHub, along with several other platforms, might be damaging to kids, according to Australia’s watchdog. The commission is investigating which companies will need to comply with age restrictions coming into effect in December.
Australia’s eSafety Commissioner has fired off a letter to GitHub, asking the Microsoft-owned code-sharing giant to consider whether it should be treated like a social media platform that endangers children.
Starting December 10th, Australia’s new rules will ban teens under 16 from using certain social media platforms deemed harmful to kids.
Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, and X are on the suspect list. But according to ABC News, regulators have also been contacting other platforms, including GitHub, to see if they meet the legal definition of “social network.”
"There are some [cases] that are pretty clear, [but] we still had to give them the due diligence process," eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said to ABC News.
Instant backlash from internet users
GitHub is a platform primarily for developers to store, share, and collaborate on code. However, some of the platform’s functionalities might resemble a social network. For example, users can comment, interact with each other, and share images.
GitHub has also long been a convenient host for malware, phishing kits, and other shady projects that might harm kids. However, internet users have already ridiculed the decision to include GitHub on the list of restricted platforms.
“Complete lunacy happening in Australia,” wrote X user.
“I guess kids wanting to learn to code will have to do so from outside Australia.”
“I laughed so hard when I saw that. GitHub must be dangerous for kids,” another user on X wrote.
Many X users discussed whether the ban is another means to control open source tool usage.
“My guess is they want to restrict people from downloading open source tools and code that might be used to circumvent their censorship measures, such as VPN, encryption chats, and other freedom tech stuff.”
Roblox, Reddit, TikTok, and others in the list
The eSafety Commissioner’s initial list of potential companies that might need to comply with Australia’s social media age restrictions includes:
- Meta – Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp
- Snap
- TikTok
- YouTube
- X
- Roblox
- Pinterest
- Discord
- Lego Play
- Reddit
- Kick
- GitHub
- HubApp
- Match
- Steam
- Twitch
The 16 companies have been asked to use eSafety's "self-assessment" tool to help determine if their service falls under the new laws. If companies want out of the December ban, they’ll need to formally argue their exemption and provide proof.
The list might also grow bigger, as the eSafety reportedly conducted background research on about 100 different platforms.