Australia is preparing to implement the world’s first national social media ban for users under 16, but new challenges have emerged from the very group the law aims to protect: teenagers themselves.
Thirteen-year-old Jasmine Elkin from Perth recently tested five different photo-based age verification software products, alongside about 30 other students. While impressed by some systems’ ability to estimate age to the exact month, Elkin doubts the ban’s effectiveness, noting that young users could easily bypass it by asking older siblings to take verification photos.
This concern reflects a broader worry shared by child protection advocates, tech companies, and trial organizers: the technology works, but young people are highly skilled at finding workarounds.
Starting in December, major social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok will face fines up to A$49.5 million ($32.17 million) if they fail to take “reasonable steps” to prevent users under 16 from accessing their services. Currently, these platforms require users to be at least 13 to create accounts.
How well Australia’s ban succeeds may influence other countries. Britain, France, and Singapore are pursuing similar restrictions, and several U.S. states, including Florida, are challenging free speech laws to impose age limits. Elon Musk, owner of X (formerly Twitter), has criticized the Australian law and regulatory authority, calling it a “censorship commissar.”
Trial organizers say nearly 60 products were considered, with about a dozen tested by teenagers in May. The teenagers demonstrated fast tech skills, leading organizers to increase the number of products tested and shorten testing times. The software mainly used selfies to estimate age, as other methods—such as credit card checks—were impractical for teens, and hand-gesture recognition gave imprecise age estimates near the 16-year cutoff.
The trial’s detailed results will be presented on June 20, with a full report to the government expected by the end of July. This will inform the eSafety Commissioner’s recommendations. The government has cited risks from cyberbullying, harmful body image content, and misogyny as reasons for the law.
Despite the technology’s promise, uncertainties remain about how effective it needs to be and whether it can keep pace with teenagers’ ingenuity. Some trial participants said they would find ways around blocks, while others accepted it as a step toward safer online environments.
Communications Minister Anika Wells’s spokesperson emphasized that age restrictions are “not the end-all be-all” but a positive move to protect young people online.