Australia banned under-16s from the likes of Facebook and TikTok on Wednesday, a world-first move of huge interest to all those worried about the harms of social media.
Internet regulators the world over are watching to see if Australia can rein in the tech giants — but questions remain about how it will work.
Here’s what we know about how Australia will enforce the new restrictions.
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– Prove age –
Some of the world’s largest social media platforms must remove all users under the age of 16 in Australia.
Hundreds of thousands of adolescents are impacted, with Instagram alone reporting about 350,000 Australian users aged 13 to 15.
Not every Australian has to prove their age, only those suspected of falling foul of the ban.
And young users are still able to access some social media without logging in — they just cannot register for their own accounts.
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– Verification –
Social media platforms are responsible for weeding out underage accounts.
A number of trials have looked at different ways to do so, but the Australian government has so far refused to settle on a universally agreed method.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has started deactivating accounts based on information such as the age given when they were created.
Account holders flagged by mistake could verify their age using a “video selfie” or by providing government-issued ID, Meta said.
– Who’s in and out –
Which platforms fall under the ban continues to be debated.
Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok are covered, as are streaming platforms including Kick and Twitch.
YouTube was added, despite the government’s suggestion that it would be exempt so that children could watch lessons online.
Other popular apps and websites such as Roblox, Pinterest and WhatsApp are currently exempt — but the list remains under review.
– Just browsing –
Australia expects rebellious teens will do their best to skirt the laws.
Guidelines warn they might try to upload fake IDs or use AI to make their photos appear older.
Platforms are expected to devise their own means to stop this happening.
“Of course, no solution is likely to be 100 percent effective all of the time,” the internet safety watchdog has said.
– Harsh penalties –
Platforms face the threat of up to Aus$49.5 million (US$33 million) in fines if they fail to take “reasonable steps” to comply.
It remains unclear how Australia’s internet safety regulator would interpret or enforce what counts as reasonable.
“‘Reasonable steps’ means platforms have to act to enforce the restrictions in a way that is just and appropriate in the circumstances,” the regulator’s guidelines say.