"Social media platforms have agreed to comply with Australia's social media ban for users under 16 years old, begrudgingly embracing the world's most restrictive online child safety law. On Tuesday, Meta, Snap, and TikTok confirmed to Australia's parliament that they'll start removing and deactivating more than a million underage accounts when the law's enforcement begins on December 10, Reuters reported. Firms risk fines of up to $32.5 million for failing to block underage users."
"An FAQ managed by Australia's eSafety regulator noted that platforms will be expected to find the accounts of all users under 16. Those users must be allowed to download their data easily before their account is removed. Some platforms can otherwise allow users to simply deactivate and retain their data until they reach age 17. Meta and TikTok expect to go that route, but Australia's regulator warned that "users should not rely on platforms to provide this option.""
"Additionally, platforms must prepare to catch kids who skirt age gates, the regulator said, and must block anyone under 16 from opening a new account. Beyond that, they're expected to prevent "workarounds" to "bypass restrictions," such as kids using AI to fake IDs, deepfakes to trick face scans, or the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) to alter their location to basically anywhere else in the world with less restrictive child safety policies."
Meta, Snap, and TikTok will remove or deactivate more than one million accounts belonging to users under 16 in Australia starting December 10. Platforms face fines up to $32.5 million for failing to block underage users. Age verification processes are expected to be inconsistent and enforcement details remain unsettled. Platforms must locate all accounts for users under 16 and allow those users to easily download their data before removal. Some platforms may offer account deactivation and data retention until users reach 17, but regulators warned users should not rely on that option. Platforms must prevent workarounds such as fake IDs, deepfakes, AI misuse, and VPNs and make inappropriate access easy to report.
Read at Ars Technica
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