CANBERRA (Kashmir English): The Australian government has published detailed guidance for tech firms in anticipation of a new law that will prohibit social media accounts for minors under 16.
The law will come into effect on December 10, and platforms have to make efforts to meet the new age limits or risk penalties, according to the Australian government.
Compliance Guidance Released
The e-Safety Commission published guidance, including a self-assessment guide, to enable businesses to make an assessment about whether their services are covered by the law. Services primarily used for education, health, professional networking, or online gaming might be exempt.
Large social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok will be directly impacted by the regulation.
Social Media Platform Requirements
Platforms are required under the new legislation to:
- Remove and identify user accounts under the age of 16
- Notify users when an account is removed
- Block re-registration by minors using methods such as the identification of VPN use or efforts to circumvent restrictions
- Provide an appeal for over-16 users who are erroneously removed
- Employ multiple age-verification techniques, other than relying on government-issued ID
- Do not store individual age-check data, but do need to record their procedures
- Businesses can utilize existing account information—like account creation dates—to assess compliance. Yet, each site must create its own age-assurance system.
Limited Access Still Possible
Even with limitations, users under 16 will still be able to access public social media content without logging in to an account. Access from shared family devices could also permit continued use, complicating enforcement.
The new system encourages carer engagement in supervision and supporting children’s online activity. The eSafety Commission intends to publish further resources to assist families in understanding and coping with the changes.
Implementation and Industry Response
Platforms will begin checking account information instantly to identify underage users. The government has not specified a particular technological solution, which could result in differences in enforcement between services.
Communications Minister Anika Wells underlined that the law will proceed as planned and cautioned platforms that there is “no excuse for non-compliance.”
