UPDATE: Australia’s groundbreaking ban on social media for users under 16 could be on the brink of failure, just four weeks before it takes effect on December 10, 2023. Senior Liberal opposition member Melissa McIntosh has raised urgent concerns about the lack of clarity surrounding age verification methods that are crucial for enforcing the ban.
From December 10, popular platforms including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Snapchat will be age-restricted, deactivating or deleting accounts belonging to users under 16 years old. McIntosh criticized the Albanese Labor Government for its failure to finalize critical details about the implementation of this historic legislation.
“It is extraordinary that a year on from the social media age minimum being legislated, the government is still scrambling over the details,” McIntosh stated. She emphasized the ambiguity surrounding whether platforms can require users to provide digital identification for age verification.
Under current legislation, platforms are prohibited from mandating government identification for age assurance but must take “reasonable steps” to remove under-16 users. Alternatives for age assessment include “age-related signals” such as interaction history and language analysis, alongside “location-related signals” utilizing IP addresses and GPS services.
At a press conference earlier today, Communications Minister Anika Wells explained that the new laws aim to protect children by allowing them up to 36 months to develop resilience before engaging with social media. eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman-Grant confirmed that the list of restricted platforms would remain “dynamic,” subject to ongoing assessment after the ban goes live.
McIntosh also expressed alarm over the absence of a robust public education campaign regarding the new law. “The details really matter, and the Minister should be focused on those first and foremost,” she asserted.
Earlier this month, the government launched a national campaign titled ‘For The Good Of’ to educate parents and children about the impending social media minimum age law. Since then, over 200,000 Australians have visited the eSafety website to learn more about the reforms. “We are heartened to see hundreds of thousands engaging in our education resources,” Wells commented, urging families to start conversations about the implications of the new law.
As the countdown continues, families with under-16s are encouraged to prepare for the upcoming changes. Young people anticipating account deactivation can back up their content and explore alternative ways to stay connected with friends and loved ones.
With only 30 days remaining until the ban takes effect, the situation is developing rapidly. Stakeholders will be watching closely to see how the government addresses the pressing issues raised by McIntosh and others in the coming weeks.
