>Interesting that Canada is trying to do the same thing. Seems suspiciously similar.

Australia already did. Commonwealth countries share a lot in common, and of course a lot of problems are common across many countries.

But let's be real -- these countries are announcing it in lockstep because the US is a corrupt plutocracy, and the lords of the nation like Mark Zuckerberg will run to Trump and he'll have a little tantrum (tantrums that always, it should be mentioned, just hurt Americans more. Everything is in the service of the billionaire class) about this.

It's tougher for that grifter to do so if so many countries do it simultaneously.

>The idea that this is about surveillance is also interesting.

What idea is that? That firms from foreign nations will gather IDs, of absolutely zero value for the country, to ensure age compliance? How does this silly conspiracy work?

Kids motivated will just get around it. But I think it's pretty clear at this point, given the idiocracies rising worldwide and how everything is getting stupider/worse, that social media has not been a net good.