Our laws seriously need updating if we're restricting kids access to new technologies so severely. Parental guidance seems like a better solution than governmental regulation.
I have no idea how many times I said I was 13 when I actually wasn't; the easiest way as a kid was just to lie. It's not like anybody cares, it's just something they have to do to cover themselves. I would argue that now it's even more unnecessary.
When I was 12 I found a hack in eBay's system that allowed me to sign up using my mom's information then switch all the account information over to mine. Technology can be a democratizing force for kids, and "that ambitious kid" can rub shoulders with grownups without being patronized to.
On the Internet nobody knows you're a dog... or a 12-year-old.
Is this a legal issue? I was under the impression that SnapChat did this voluntarily, i.e. to avoid the inevitable shitstorm if someone sent genitalia to a toddler or something to that extent.
SnapChat went "viral" on the notion that it was primarily usable as a way to send self nudies to other people with less risk that it could be used against you in the future. I don't consider it "severe" that the under-13 set is restricted from such an app. It's just responsible business operation.
Further, it takes a village to raise a child, and the "parental guidance" ruse that always appears is aggravating and unreasonable. Outside of cults and specific subcultures, children exist and engage in the general world with people who might have different opinions. And that's where laws (and companies proactively doing things before laws appear forcing them) come into play.
Weird feature, but I suppose its a better alternative than simply locking out the user. Still, any kid would simply lie about their age on the registration form.
