Australia could use a range of technologies to implement its social media ban for under-16s but all have risks or shortcomings, a report has found. The government says its ban, which comes into effect in December, is designed to limit the harmful impacts of social media. The policy has been touted as a world-first and is being watched closely by leaders globally.
Under the new laws, platforms must take 'reasonable steps' to prevent Australian children from creating accounts on their sites, and deactivate existing ones. Though the move is popular with many parents, experts have raised concerns over data privacy and the accuracy of age verification technology.
The federal government commissioned the UK-based Age Check Certification Scheme to test the ways Australia could enforce the ban, and its final report was published on Sunday. It looked at a variety of methods - including formal verification using government documents, parental approval, or technologies to determine age based on facial structure, gestures, or behaviors - and found all were technically possible.
'But we did not find a single ubiquitous solution that would suit all use cases, nor did we find solutions that were guaranteed to be effective in all deployments,' it said.
Verification using identity documents was cited as the most accurate method, but the report identified concerns that platforms may keep this data longer than required and were anticipating sharing it with regulators, both of which would leave users' privacy at risk.
Australia has seen a series of high-profile data breaches, including theft of sensitive personal information. Facial assessment technology was 92% accurate for people aged 18 or over, but there is a 'buffer zone' of about two to three years either side of 16, leading to potential false positives and negatives.
Communications Minister Anika Wells stated that no one-size-fits-all solution exists and emphasized the need for layered verification methods. Major social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube are set to be affected by this ban, with potential fines for non-compliance. While many adults support the measure, mental health advocates warn it could isolate children or push them to less regulated corners of the web.
Under the new laws, platforms must take 'reasonable steps' to prevent Australian children from creating accounts on their sites, and deactivate existing ones. Though the move is popular with many parents, experts have raised concerns over data privacy and the accuracy of age verification technology.
The federal government commissioned the UK-based Age Check Certification Scheme to test the ways Australia could enforce the ban, and its final report was published on Sunday. It looked at a variety of methods - including formal verification using government documents, parental approval, or technologies to determine age based on facial structure, gestures, or behaviors - and found all were technically possible.
'But we did not find a single ubiquitous solution that would suit all use cases, nor did we find solutions that were guaranteed to be effective in all deployments,' it said.
Verification using identity documents was cited as the most accurate method, but the report identified concerns that platforms may keep this data longer than required and were anticipating sharing it with regulators, both of which would leave users' privacy at risk.
Australia has seen a series of high-profile data breaches, including theft of sensitive personal information. Facial assessment technology was 92% accurate for people aged 18 or over, but there is a 'buffer zone' of about two to three years either side of 16, leading to potential false positives and negatives.
Communications Minister Anika Wells stated that no one-size-fits-all solution exists and emphasized the need for layered verification methods. Major social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube are set to be affected by this ban, with potential fines for non-compliance. While many adults support the measure, mental health advocates warn it could isolate children or push them to less regulated corners of the web.
