Australia's Under-16 Social Media Ban Raises Privacy and Age‑Verification Concerns

Australia under-16 social media ban age verification privacy third‑party verification

In December 2025 Australia enacted a law that bans children under 16 from accessing social‑media platforms unless the platforms can verify their age. The legislation obliges companies to collect biometric data, government‑issued IDs, or other personal information and subjects them to large fines for non‑compliance. Verification is often handled by third‑party services such as Singapore‑based k‑ID, which use banking links, ID scans or selfies to determine an age range.

Government research shows the ban has had little effect: roughly 70 % of under‑16s continue to use social media, and a British Medical Journal study found “little evidence” of a substantive reduction in usage. The law also requires that collected data be destroyed after its purpose is fulfilled, but the lack of clear guidance on retention periods fuels worries about data breaches, misuse, and potential foreign government requests.

The policy is being watched by other nations as a potential template for stricter online age‑verification regimes.

Sources

The ‘papers, please’ era of the internet will decimate your privacy [expression.fire.org]

26 days ago

The ‘papers, please’ era of the internet will decimate your privacy [www.fire.org]

26 days ago