Summarised by Centrist
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced plans to block children under 16 from social media by the end of the year, but enforcing this ban might be tough.
Trials in the UK and US show that while age verification technology exists, tech workarounds like VPNs are big hurdles and privacy concerns are a major factor.
The government’s proposed methods include photo ID uploads, facial age estimation, and using Google or Apple to verify ages.
However, forcing companies to collect private data presents a host of privacy concerns.
But as government documents revealed by Guardian Australia, examining the global use of age assurance technology, state, “No countries have implemented an age verification mandate without issue.”
For example, the UK abandoned its own laws in 2019 due to technical issues and privacy fears.
In the US, when Utah and Louisiana introduced rules that required people to verify their age before accessing certain websites, the use of Virtual Private Networks VPNs went up manyfold. A VPN allows people to hide their real location, making it seem like they are in a place without those age checks, so they can still access the websites.
Proposals suggest social media giants could face penalties for not complying, but how effective that will be remains to be seen.
