Australia's teen social media ban: Age verification tech “works," say trial organizers

Australia’s plan to ban under-16s from social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat is gaining traction with organizers of a government-backed trial declaring that age-verification software “can work”—even if it’s not perfect. As reported by Reuters, the comprehensive trial, which involved over 1,000 Australian school students and hundreds of adults, concluded earlier this month. The Australian government is pushing ahead with a law, set to come into effect in December, that will require social media giants like Meta (Facebook, Instagram), Snapchat, and TikTok to implement "reasonable steps" to block under-16s from their platforms. Companies failing to comply could face fines of up to A$49.5 million ($32 million).Tony Allen, CEO of the UK-based

Age Check Certification Scheme

, the organization overseeing the Australian trial, stated on Friday that "Age assurance can be done in Australia privately, efficiently and effectively." He further noted that the trial found "no significant tech barriers" to rolling out a software-based scheme.However, Allen also cautioned that "no one-size-fits-all solution, and no solution that worked perfectly in all deployments" was identified. Concerns were also raised about some age-assurance software firms potentially "over-collecting" data in anticipation of future law enforcement or regulatory needs.

As per the report, the initial findings reveal a positive outlook for the government announced ban. This comes despite ongoing skepticism from child protection advocates, tech industry groups, and even teenagers themselves, who have questioned the ban's enforceability due to potential workarounds like Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).The trial conducted explored various age verification methods using facial recognition, inferring age based on behaviour and parental controls. During the test some of the facial recognition tools were reported to be almost accurate. However, other reports from the trial highlighted issues with accuracy, such as misidentifying children as older or having higher error rates for certain demographics.The complete report from the Age Assurance Technology Trial is said to be delivered to the Australian government next month. These findings will then inform an industry consultation ahead of the December deadline for the ban's implementation.