20 July, 2025
australian-teen-social-media-ban-faces-scrutiny-amid-technology-trials

Technologies designed to enforce the Australian government’s social media ban for individuals under 16 have been described as “private, robust and effective.” This assertion comes from the preliminary findings of a federal government-commissioned trial, nearing completion, which tested these technologies. The findings, released today, could bolster the government’s resolve to implement the ban, set to commence in December, despite significant expert criticism.

According to a government-released survey of nearly 4,000 people earlier this week, nine out of ten Australians support the ban in principle. However, the survey also revealed widespread concerns about its implementation. Nearly 80% of respondents expressed apprehensions about privacy and security, with about half questioning the accuracy of age assurance methods and the extent of government oversight.

Technological Promises and Challenges

The trial’s preliminary findings suggest promising potential for technologies that verify users’ ages. Yet, the report offers scant details on specific technologies, raising questions about their effectiveness. This comes as the social media ban, legislated in December 2024, mandates technology companies to provide alternative age assurance methods beyond government-issued IDs.

The Australian government tasked the Age Check Certification Scheme, a UK-based company specializing in identity verification, to lead the trial. The trial involves 53 vendors offering diverse age assurance technologies, including facial recognition and hand-movement recognition. According to Tony Allen, the trial’s project director, “age assurance can be done in Australia,” and the solutions are “technically feasible” and supportive of children’s safety and rights online.

Contradictory Evidence and Error Rates

Despite these optimistic claims, other evidence paints a more complicated picture. The ABC reported that face-scanning technologies from the trial often misidentified children, sometimes mistaking 15-year-olds for individuals in their 20s or 30s. The technologies could only estimate ages within an 18-month range in 85% of cases, potentially allowing a 14-year-old to access social media while blocking a 17-year-old.

This aligns with global trials of face-scanning technologies, which have shown significant challenges in accurately differentiating minors’ ages. The United States’ National Institute of Standards and Technology’s ongoing studies reveal that age estimation algorithms struggle, particularly with young women and individuals with darker skin tones.

Even the best age-estimation software, like Yoti, has an average error of 1.0 years, while others can err by 3.1 years on average.

Such error rates suggest that many children under 16 could bypass the ban, while some over 16 might be unfairly blocked. Yoti advises businesses needing precise age checks to set higher age thresholds, akin to Australia’s retail liquor sector, where IDs are verified for anyone appearing under 25. However, this poses challenges for young people lacking government-issued IDs.

Outstanding Questions and Future Implications

As the trial continues, several questions remain unanswered. The specific methods platforms will use to verify ages are unclear, as are the recourses available for misidentified ages. Will there be a mechanism for parents to contest underage access or for older users to appeal wrongful blocks?

The potential for under-16s to circumvent the ban by using accounts set up by older individuals is another concern. The government might require periodic age verification for all users to mitigate this risk. Additionally, the acceptable error margin for age estimation remains undefined, with legislation requiring “reasonable steps” to prevent underage social media use, yet what constitutes “reasonable” is still to be clarified.

Australians await the full results of the government’s trial and the responses from technology companies. With less than six months until the ban’s implementation, social media users are left with more questions than answers about the future of online interactions for minors.