Australia Enacts New Social Media Age Restrictions
The Australian Parliament, with a Liberal majority, recently passed a bill that modifies its online safety regulations, specifically by establishing age restrictions for several social media platforms.
Starting December 10, young people in Australia will be barred from using various platforms like Facebook, Reddit, Snapchat, TikTok, X, and YouTube. If these platforms fail to block minors from creating or maintaining accounts, they could face fines exceeding $32 million.
However, kids have quickly adapted, using facial distortions to appear older.
As reported by The Telegraph, many minors managed to bypass the new age verification measures just minutes after implementation, often by simply frowning at the camera.
Noah Jones, a 15-year-old from Sydney, shared that he accessed Instagram using his brother’s ID after receiving a warning from the app that he seemed too young.
Interestingly, Noah’s mother supported his defiance. She described the law as “bad” but recounted that when Snapchat requested age verification, she merely frowned into the camera and was confirmed as over 16.
Some young individuals are considering alternative, less regulated platforms that the government can’t control. “Where do you think everyone is going?” Noah questioned. “Social media platforms are just plain bad—less regulated and more dangerous.”
Zahra McDonald, a 14-year-old from Queensland, expressed interest in Coverstar, another application with looser restrictions. However, for now, she continues to use TikTok and Snapchat, largely thanks to the age verification system mistakenly identifying her as 20 years old.
“You have to show your face, turn it to the side, open your mouth, show facial movements,” she explained. “But it doesn’t really work.”
In addition to using fake IDs or exaggerated facial expressions, some teenagers have resorted to stock photos, makeup, masks, and even fake mustaches to fool the age verification systems. Others opt for VPNs or their parents’ accounts for access to these social media channels.
This ban was introduced following a government-commissioned study which surveyed 2,629 children aged 10 to 15 and found that:
- 71% encountered harmful content online.
- 52% experienced cyberbullying.
- 25% faced online hate.
- 24% reported sexual harassment online.
- 23% dealt with non-consensual tracking or harassment.
- 14% were subjected to grooming-like behavior online.
- 8% encountered image-based abuse.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese noted, “Parents, teachers, and students support a social media ban for those under 16 because they understand the importance of allowing children to grow up free from algorithms and online dangers.” His statement emphasized the importance of providing children with a safer childhood.
A photo featuring a young girl, who expressed her opposition to the ban, accompanied his statement. It appears that she’s not alone in her dissent; Reddit has filed a lawsuit in Australia’s High Court, arguing that the ban infringes upon the rights to free political speech enshrined in the country’s constitution.
Health Minister Mark Butler remarked that Reddit’s motives seem more focused on corporate interests rather than safeguarding young people’s speech rights. “This behavior is reminiscent of Big Tobacco’s approach toward tobacco control,” he added, alluding to the actions of large tech companies in this context.
