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Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young had previously issued a warning that she might compel executives to testify at the inquiry into online safety, following their absence at a prior session. However, TikTok, Meta, and Snapchat have now agreed to voluntarily present their perspectives on the social media ban during the hearing, thus avoiding the need for subpoenas.
The companies have confirmed their intention to adhere to the new social media restrictions, even though they have voiced certain reservations about the legislation.
“Experts are concerned that the ban could drive younger users to less regulated parts of the internet, where safety measures and protections are lacking,” commented Woods-Joyce.
While the legislation mandates that children under 16 are prohibited from accessing social media platforms, it does provide exceptions for certain health and education services, including Meta’s Messenger Kids and WhatsApp.
While children under 16 will be banned from social media platforms, there are some exceptions for health and education services, including WhatsApp and Meta’s Messenger Kids.
New details about the ban’s implementation
Snapchat will implement a tool, Download My Data, to help affected users secure photos and communications before accounts are locked. It also questioned temporarily “freezing” — rather than deactivating — accounts of those close to the age of 16.
Meta will use a third-party provider, Yoti, to enforce age assurance technology, giving people the option to submit a video selfie, an age estimation approach, or provide government identification, Garlick said.
Concerns about age verification technology
While the government has noted there is no one-size-fits-all solution for all companies, age assurance technology might involve using age estimation via AI, facial age analysis, and identity document verification to verify someone’s age.
Google previously told the inquiry the ban would be extremely difficult to enforce, and a lack of detail around how the platforms plan to implement age verification systems has clouded the ban since its announcement.
