Tech for under-16s social media ban given thumbs up: ‘Private, robust and effective’

Technology which will underpin the world-leading under-16s social media ban has been given the thumbs up, following a groundbreaking trial.

Australia has been given the green light to use age verification to implement its world-leading social media ban for under-16s, after the first technological trial determined it would be “private, robust and effective”.

The preliminary findings of the Age Assurance Technology Trial (AATT) – which will provide the bedrock for the social media age limit announced by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in November – will be unveiled on Friday.

The trial analysed methods of age-checking technology used and suggested by 53 different organisations across the world to protect children from harm, to test how accurately it could judge a user’s age.

AATT project director Tony Allen said the study’s initial results showed age verification was ready to be rolled out in Australia.

“The preliminary findings indicate that there are no significant technological barriers preventing the deployment of effective age assurance systems in Australia,” he said.

Results of the trial will be used to help enforce age limits on under-16s using social media. File picture: iStock

“These solutions are technically feasible, can be integrated flexibly into existing services, and can support the safety and rights of children online.”

The world-first legislation to raise the minimum age of social media use to 16 came after News Corp’s Let Them Be Kids campaign unveiled soaring rates of anxiety, depression, eating disorders and other harm among children.

The move means companies such as Meta – the owner of Facebook and Instagram – TikTok, and Snapchat would face fines of up to $49.5 million if they fail to take “reasonable steps” to stop users under the age limit from accessing their platforms.

The trial of what technologies could be used has been led by the Age Check Certification Scheme (ACCS) and supported by software analytics firm KJR, whose deputy project director Andrew Hammond said 1085 students across Australia had been consulted in the tests.

“The results demonstrate that the technology itself is ready, though there is still work to be done to ensure best practice in deployment, governance and inclusivity,” he said.

Mr Hammond told News Corp technology analysed included participants filming themselves with their phone cameras, which then used artificial intelligence to make a judgment on their age.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese with Communications Minister Anika Wells. Picture: NewsWire/Richard Gosling

Other methods included sending a request to the participants’ bank to verify their age.

“Overwhelmingly, the feedback was quite positive … I’m quite confident while it’s not perfect, there’s plenty of options that can be (used),” he said.

A detailed report is expected to be delivered to Communications Minister Anika Wells by the end of July, with Aussie age limits to come in by December this year.

The initial feedback from the trial shows there is “a plethora of approaches that fit different use cases in different ways”, but there wasn’t “a single ubiquitous solution that would suit all use cases” – meaning social media platforms required to adopt age-verification technology could be pushed into using a variety of different models.

The trial also found age-verifying technology would have to continue evolving, specifically to address adolescents finding loopholes and ways through the age limit.

A spokesman for Ms Wells confirmed the findings of the trial would form a key part of formulating how social media age limits would be rolled out in Australia.

“The final findings of the independent age assurance trial will be provided to the eSafety Commissioner to inform her broader consultation on the implementation of Australia’s world-leading social media age restrictions laws,” he said.

“We know that social media age restrictions will not be the end-all be-all solution for harms experienced by young people online, but it’s a step in the right direction to keep our kids safer.”

Originally published as Tech for under-16s social media ban given thumbs up: ‘Private, robust and effective’