Dana McKay, associate dean in interaction, technology and information at RMIT, told SBS News: “For most people, the ban will probably work and keep young people off social media. But for those most at risk, life is going to be a lot more difficult.”

Most vulnerable could be worst affected

“People exploring their queer identities but are still connected with relatives on social media, for instance, could lose access to their more authentic online persona.”

She said it’s important to note that some users could create anonymous accounts for “nefarious” reasons, which could be combatted by the new ban.

Margin of error

The new ban will be implemented in approximately 100 days, and a federal government report has outlined how the technology is expected to function.

“These variations suggest that for diverse users, estimation and inference technologies can be inaccurate for sections of the population, especially for older adults and people who are non-Caucasian and those who are female presenting,” she said.