Australia is making headlines with its groundbreaking decision to ban children under 16 from using popular social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat. This new legislation, slated to take effect in late 2025, will require platforms to demonstrate efforts to block underage users or face hefty fines up to AUD 49.5 million. However, YouTube is exempt from these rules due to its educational role. Despite the law not specifying enforcement tactics yet, a trial scheduled from January to March will determine effective methods.
The trial, to be executed by the technology firm KJR, will involve 1,200 randomly selected Australians and focus on exploring technologies that can verify users' ages without compromising their privacy or security. Various approaches are being considered, including biometric age estimation through video selfies, document-based age verification using third-party services, and age inference through data cross-checking. These methods aim to prevent common workarounds like appearance-altering filters or fake documents and will reject solutions that fail to stop scalable bypassing attempts.
The results of the trial will provide guidance to both lawmakers and social media companies for the smooth implementation of the legislation. An independent British consulting firm, The Age Check Certification Scheme, is overseeing the process and will recommend effective solutions to the Australian government by mid-2025. While there are concerns voiced by critics, such as Elon Musk, regarding potential overreach and data collection risks, Australia's Communications Minister has clarified that the law does not mandate government technologies or require sharing personal data with platforms. Companies like Yoti, providing age verification for Instagram, claim high accuracy rates, but challenges persist in ensuring privacy, accuracy, and security, particularly for a country with a large population like Australia.