Australia nears under-16 social media ban after age-check trial

Australia's landmark plan to ban under-16s from accessing social media platforms took a major step forward on Friday, after a government-commissioned trial found that current technology can effectively and privately verify users' ages, reported Bloomberg.

The Age Assurance Technology trial concluded that a variety of digital age-checking tools - ranging from facial scans to behavioural analysis and parental controls - can be smoothly integrated into existing services.

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The findings dismantle a key argument from social media giants like Meta Platforms Inc., TikTok, and Snap Inc., which had expressed doubts over the technological feasibility of enforcing such an age restriction.

The Australian government now has a clear runway to enact the legislation by the end of the year, potentially making the country the first in the world to enforce a blanket social media age ban, the report added.

Platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat, and X, will be required to enforce the age restriction or risk penalties of up to AUD $50 million (USD $32 million) for non-compliance.

The trial evaluated more than 50 companies and tested a mix of age-assurance methods. While it found no single solution universally applicable to all platforms, it identified a suite of workable tools that can be tailored to different contexts.

The initiative also factored in how minors might attempt to bypass checks, further strengthening the credibility of its findings.

Major tech ecosystem players including Apple and Google, whose operating systems underpin the mobile app experience, also participated in the trial, lending it considerable industry weight.

However, the trial did not measure public acceptance or delve into cost implications. Details on the precision of individual methods - such as error rates in facial recognition - were also not disclosed, leaving some questions unanswered, the report added.

Also Read: Australia's ground-breaking social media age ban passes House vote