Without a clear idea of what methods companies will be using, it’s hard to say whether the social media ban will be effective – but concerns have been raised that age assurance technologies may wrongly block some users while failing to spot others who are underage.
The government’s own report, external found that facial assessment technology, for example, is least reliable for the exact demographic it’s needed to target.
Questions have also been raised as to whether the fines for infringement are big enough. As former Facebook executive Stephen Scheeler told AAP: “It takes Meta about an hour and 52 minutes to make $50 million in revenue”.
Critics argue that the ban, even if properly implemented, will not actually reduce online harm for children. Dating websites and gaming platforms are not included, and nor are AI chatbots, which have recently made headlines for allegedly encouraging children to commit suicide and for having “sensual” conversations with minors.
Others point out that teens who rely on social media for community will be left isolated, and argue that educating children about how to navigate social media would be more effective.
Communications Minister Annika Wells has conceded that the ban may not be “perfect”.
“It’s going to look a bit untidy on the way through,” she said in early November. “Big reforms always do.”
