- Illustrative photo: Reuters
CANBERRA: (Bernama-Xinhua) Social media companies will be required to detect and deactivate accounts held by underage children when Australia's world-first under-16 ban comes into effect in December, the government revealed on Tuesday (Sept 16), reported Xinhua.
The federal government on Tuesday released regulatory guidance for technology companies to comply with the under-16 social media ban ahead of it coming into effect on Dec 10.
The guidance says that social platforms will be expected to initially focus on the detection and deactivation of existing accounts held by children younger than 16, and on taking reasonable steps to prevent those whose accounts have been removed from immediately creating a new account.
According to the guidance, platforms will not be required to verify every user’s age or use a government-mandated technology for age assurance.
However, they must provide clear and accessible information on how they enforce the ban and establish a process for handling disputes.
Under the legislation for the ban, which passed the federal parliament in December 2024, companies that fail to take "reasonable steps" to enforce the ban will face fines worth up to A$49.5 million (US$33 million).
Releasing the guidelines on Tuesday, Communications Minister Anika Wells and Julie Inman Grant, Australia's eSafety Commissioner, said at a press conference that they do not expect the ban to be fully effective instantly.
"We are not anticipating perfection here, these are world-leading laws, but we are requiring meaningful change through reasonable steps that will seek cultural change and a chilling effect that will keep kids safe," Wells said.
Grant said that the government recognises that building the required systems and technology will take some time, and that her agency would initially focus on systemic failures by platforms to apply the policy and processes that they are required to.
The government, in August, released the results of a trial that found age assurance technologies can be effectively used to enforce age-related eligibility requirements. - Bernama-Xinhua
