Australia’s Government Hires Parents to Test World’s First National Teen Social Media Ban
Software testers, hired by the Australian government to determine how to enforce the world’s first national teen social media ban, are a group of parents who have worked on contracts for the defence and election sectors. The team, led by Andrew Hammond, general manager at tech contractor KJR, believes their own experiences of managing their children’s online activities will guide their study.
The study, set to begin in January and run until March, aims to test the effectiveness of age-checking technology on around 1,200 randomly selected Australians. The results will shape the course of action for lawmakers and tech platforms worldwide, as they navigate concerns over youth mental health and data collection.
The research will focus on three age-checking methods: age estimation, age verification, and age inference. The methods involve biometric analysis of user selfies, confirmation tokens from a third-party provider, or cross-checking users’ email addresses. The team will also test how well products cope with attempts to bypass the age-checking system using appearance-adjusting filters.
The Australian government’s ban on social media for minors is set to come into force by late 2025, with fines of up to AUD 49.5 million for non-compliance. The legislation does not specify what constitutes “reasonable steps” to implement the ban, leaving it up to the trial to determine the best approach.
The outcome of this study will likely have a significant impact on the global regulatory landscape, as many countries and U.S. states explore similar measures to restrict access to social media for minors. The Australian government’s approach could set a precedent for other countries, including the U.S., to follow.
“We’re all parents of kids of various ages, and we’re definitely aware of all the little tricks kids do,” Hammond said. “Kids are quite resourceful, so we’ll definitely have our eyes and ears open.”