Australia’s under-16 social media ban faces enforcement problems

In short: Australia’s plan to block under-16s from social media is meant to reduce harm and push platforms to take responsibility, but early signs suggest it is hard to enforce.

What's going on

Reporting discussed by The New York Times points to a basic problem with social media age limits. They can exist on paper, but many teens can still get in.

Research summarized in other coverage found that more than 85% of under-16 respondents kept using the same apps. The most common “age check” was self-declaration, which means a user just types in a birth date. That is like a movie theater asking your age and taking your word for it.

Many teens did not need advanced tricks to get around restrictions. Reported workarounds included making a new account with a fake age, using a friend or family member’s account, or using private browsing (a browser mode that saves less history on the device). Using a VPN, a tool that can hide where your internet connection appears to be, was less common in that study.

Australia’s law is designed to shift the burden onto the companies that run social media platforms. It requires them to take “reasonable steps” to stop under-16 account access, and it can fine them heavily if they do not comply. Critics argue the evidence for a ban is weak and that banning access alone may not work.

What to watch

The big question is whether the law leads to stronger age assurance, meaning better ways to check age, and more consistent account removal. If not, the rule may mostly push teen social media use out of sight instead of reducing it, while the harms the government cites, like cyberbullying and grooming, remain.

Source: NYTimes