Social media ban: Kids expected to find ways to keep accounts, tech companies put on notice
Kids are expected to find workarounds to keep their accounts after the under-16 social media begins, but Labor has put tech companies on notice as the deadline approaches.
The world-leading age restrictions come into effect next Wednesday, with children set to be kicked off popular platforms including Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and TikTok.
A week out from the ban’s start date, Communications Minister Anika Wells will address the National Press Club in Canberra, acknowledging clever kids will find a way to get around the rules.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.“Yes, there will still be kids with accounts on 10 December, and probably for some time after that,” she will say.
“But our expectation is clear: any company that allows this is breaking the law.
“We know it won’t be perfect from day one but we won’t give up, and we won’t let the platforms off the hook.”
The Communications Minister will point to almost 86 per cent of Australian children between the ages of eight and 15 being on social media.
“We accept it will take time for the age assurance sieve to filter out the existing accounts and stop new accounts from being created,” she will say.
Meta will start booting children off its platforms - which include Instagram and Facebook - from Thursday.
Users wrongly identified will be able to verify their age with third-party platform Yoti or provide government-issued ID.
A number of other platforms are using similar methods, but TikTok is yet to reveal what its appeal process will be.
The day after the ban is implemented, the eSafety Commissioner will send notices to the 10 platforms named in their “dynamic list”.
These notices will ask for evidence such as how many underage accounts the platforms had before the law started, and then after its implementation.
Tech companies face fines of up to $49.5 million if they fail to take “reasonable steps” to block young users from the cut-off date under the new laws.
“Those platforms will have time to reply, before the next round of information requests are sent out asking for updated figures every month for six months,” the Minister will say.
Platforms must implement age-assurance technology, but a specific type or method has not been mandated by the eSafety Commission.
The Government has flagged the list of platforms could grow to capture more under the ban.
