Australia's world-leading ban on under-16s joining social media sites cleared a big hurdle Friday as a trial found digital age checks can work "robustly and effectively".
Sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok and X could face fines of up to A$50 million (U.S.$32 million) for failing to comply with the legislation, which was passed in November.
They have described the law -- which is due to come into effect by the end of this year -- as vague, rushed and "problematic".
There has been widespread concern over children's use of online platforms as evidence shows that social media can have negative effects on children's mental and physical health.
Digital age verification systems -- which would be critical to the ban -- can work, said the interim findings of an independent Age Assurance Technology Trial, conducted for the government.
"These preliminary findings indicate that age assurance can be done in Australia privately, robustly and effectively," it said.
There are "no significant technological barriers" to deploying age checking systems in Australia, said the trial's project director, Tony Allen.
"These solutions are technically feasible, can be integrated flexibly into existing services and can support the safety and rights of children online," he said in a statement.
In a separate interview with Australia's Nine Network, Allen said preventing children circumventing age verification tools was a "big challenge", however.
"I don't think anything is completely foolproof," he said.
There are a "plethora" of approaches to age verification but no single solution to suit all cases, said the trial report, in which 53 organizations took part.
Australia's legislation is being closely monitored by other countries, with many weighing whether to implement similar bans.
Greece spearheaded a proposal this month for the European Union to limit children's use of online platforms by setting an age of digital adulthood -- barring children from social media without parental consent.
© 2025 AFP
3 Comments
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Peppermint
Tik-Tok until tequila Tuesday.
Jay
Ha! - “robustly and effectively”? No they don’t. These so-called “age checks” only work 84% of the time, which means 1 in 6 kids still slips right through. If you’re calling that “world-leading,” the bar’s so low it’s bloody underground. That’s like selling a parachute that only opens most of the time and calling it a safety breakthrough.
If we're honest though, this is hardly about protecting kids. It’s about building the infrastructure for total digital surveillance. Step one: “think of the children!” Step two: normalize biometric scanning, ID-linked logins, and eventually, a government-issued online passport. ALL your access to the internet - your speech, your thoughts, your associations - filtered through a centralized, monitored pipeline. Sound familiar, 1984 readers? It should.
Again, we should question whether this is is actually about safety, or if it’s about control, conditioning the next generation to accept surveillance as a fact of life. And remember, the same people pushing this can’t protect your data, can’t stop cyberbullying, can’t even run a functioning government website - but sure, let’s trust them with your child’s digital fingerprints! Wake up.
Ricky Kaminski13
Sorry Jay thats a bunch of trollop. Paranoia on steroids. Even if one in six kids can get through at least its a start. The research and data about this generation and the disastrous effects social media is having on them is undeniable. It may not be full proof or perfect, but at least its a standard and a launching pad that parents can try and use to protect their kids from their own unmitigated self destructive behaviors and habits. Young girls in particular seem to be in serious danger. This surveillance state mentality can be just as damaging to mental health as well by the way, both for young and old!
Have a run at it Australia, someone has to. Learn what works and what doesn’t then report the findings to the world. The goal being to at least try and give this generation a fighting chance to wire their brains the way they were designed to be wired. Depression, isolation, loneliness, self loathing and self harm are just a few examples of the widespread damage being done for profit to this young generation.