Australia's Under-16 Social Media Ban Sees Technological Flaws, Privacy Risks

Australia is set to implement a world-first ban on social media access for children under 16 starting in December, requiring platforms to take reasonable steps to prevent underage account creation and deactivate existing accounts. A government-commissioned trial of age assurance technologies—including facial age estimation, ID verification, parental consent, and behavioral inference—tested 60 technologies from 48 vendors and found that while effective, no single solution fits all use cases and errors, especially in a two- to three-year age buffer zone around 16, are inevitable. Verification using identity documents was deemed most accurate but raised significant privacy concerns due to potential data retention and sharing with regulators. Facial assessment technology showed 92% accuracy for adults over 18 but had reduced reliability near the age threshold. Experts caution that methods relying on real identity or parental consent pose risks for vulnerable children, such as those experiencing domestic violence or needing anonymity online, highlighting that stacking multiple verification approaches may still leave these groups at risk. Despite these challenges, the age assurance sector is described as innovative and committed to privacy, with ongoing technological improvements anticipated to enhance usability and effectiveness.