Australia's government recently approved a law that would ban social media for kids under 16 in an effort to protect young people from online harm. The legislation places the responsibility on tech companies like TikTok, Meta, and Snapchat to prevent children under 16 from using their platforms. Failure to comply could result in fines of up to $32 million.
The law, supported by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, received overwhelming support in the House of Representatives and the Senate. While some critics have raised concerns about potential unintended consequences, such as limiting access to online support for marginalized young people, support for the legislation appears to be high among Australians.
Tech companies are now faced with the challenge of implementing age verification technologies to comply with the new law. While Google and Meta lobbied to delay the vote until a government-commissioned trial on age verification technologies is completed, Snap Inc. suggested device-level age verification as the best option.
Australia's eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, expressed confidence in tech companies' ability to comply with the law, stating that they have the resources and technology to identify and verify the age of children. A trial looking into technologies for age verification, including biometrics, is currently underway and set to deliver its report next summer.
Overall, the social media ban for kids under 16 in Australia represents a significant step towards protecting children online. While the exact methods for compliance remain unclear, tech companies are expected to find ways to verify users' age and ensure that young people are not exposed to harmful content on social media platforms.