I Think Albo Is Kidding Himself If He Thinks He Can Control Access To Social Media.

Just what is happening when the Government thinks it can insist ordinary law-abiding citizens manage the use of social media among those who can read enough to understand it but who are not adult? It will be a struggle!

‘Black Friday sale on VPNs’: Social media ban faces early obstacles

Tess Bennett Technology reporter

Nov 29, 2024 – 12.48pm

Passing the world-first laws that restrict Australians under the age of 16 from accessing social media may have been the easy part. Enforcing them is another story altogether.

From Monday, Australia’s online safety regulator will pressure social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook owner Meta, Snapchat and TikTok to introduce ways to verify the age of their users to comply with the blanket ban.

The tech giants – which widely criticised the laws as rushed and lacking crucial details about how they will be implemented in practice – must now work with the eSafety Commissioner, who has 12 months to figure out how the new regime will operate when it takes effect in late 2025.

If they fail to comply, platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, X and Reddit could be fined up to $50 million after the government secured bipartisan support for the laws this week.

Attention has already turned to how kids can circumvent the ban, with Fred Schebesta, the co-founder of comparison website Finder advertising a Black Friday sale on Virtual Private Networks – software that allows users to appear as though they are accessing the internet from a different country.

“Parents! Finder is having a VPN sale for Black Friday. Special discount for those under 16,” the tech and crypto entrepreneur posted on X.

The legislation does not specify how sites should verify users’ ages. However, Australians won’t be forced to provide their passports or driver’s licences. Platforms can only collect government-issued identity documents if they have provided users with an alternative method of verifying their age.

Alternative methods could include monitoring user interactions and behaviour for signs that they are underage or facial age estimation software.

Findings of the Australian government’s age-verification trials, which are examining how biometrics, age estimation software and parental certification could be used to stop young people accessing social media, will be reported in June.

“The social media ban legislation has been released and passed within a week and, as a result, no one can confidently explain how it will work in practice – the community and platforms are in the dark about what exactly is required of them,” Sunita Bose, the managing director of tech industry group DIGI, said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Friday that the onus was on the social media providers to ensure the safety of Australian children.“We’ve got your back is our message to Australian parents,” Mr Albanese said.

Spokeswomen for Meta, TikTok and Snap told AFR Weekend they were still working through the details of how to set up internal teams to work through the implementation period.

“The task now turns to ensuring there is productive consultation on all rules associated with the bill to ensure a technically feasible outcome that does not place an onerous burden on parents and teens and a commitment that rules will be consistently applied across all social apps used by teens,” a Meta spokeswoman said.

Both Snapchat and Meta have urged the government to require device makers and app store owners like Apple and Google to verify users’ ages at the app store level, which they argue would minimise the need for social media companies to collect identity information.

Passage of the laws through the Senate on Thursday night made headlines around the world. CNN, The New York Times, The Associated Press, the BBC, London’s The Mirror and The Washington Post were among the mainstream outlets that carried stories, as well as all the biggest international technology news websites.

The coverage noted the sweeping ban had widespread support, but that it lacked details of how it would work and that it could pose risks to privacy and children’s social connection.

The Wall Street Journal called the ban “one of the world’s most restrictive social media laws”, and online British news outlet The Independent described it as a “test case” for other governments such as those in France and some US states which are planning to legislate social media age restrictions.

Bloomberg described the laws as “some of the most stringent internet usage restrictions outside of China and other non-democratic regimes and could provide impetus to other governments to act”.

Here is the link:

https://www.afr.com/technology/how-the-world-reacted-to-our-social-media-ban-20241129-p5kui5

My view is that this is a hysterical “moral panic” on the part of technologically ignorant politicians.

If there was a serious risk, how come we can wait for 12 months to do something?

It is all just political posturing IMVHO! The 'nanny state' really will struggle on this one and I have to say I reckon the platforms need to watch what is going on and exclude the clearly under age. They won't like it, but it should be part of their 'social license'.

David.