Latest news with #AgeCheckCertificationScheme
AsiaOne
3 hours ago
- Business
- AsiaOne
Australia social media teen ban software trial organisers say the tech works, World News
SYDNEY - Some age-checking applications collect too much data and no product works 100 per cent of the time, but using software to enforce a teenage social media ban can work in Australia, the head of the world's biggest trial of the technology said on Friday (June 20). The view from the government-commissioned Age Assurance Technology Trial of more than 1,000 Australian school students and hundreds of adults is a boost to the country's plan to keep under 16s off social media. From December, in a world first ban, companies like Facebook and Instagram owner Meta, Snapchat and TikTok must prove they are taking reasonable steps to block young people from their platforms or face a fine of up to A$49.5 million (S$41 million). Since the Australian government announced the legislation last year, child protection advocates, tech industry groups and children themselves have questioned whether the ban can be enforced due to workarounds like Virtual Private Networks, which obscure an internet user's location. "Age assurance can be done in Australia privately, efficiently and effectively," said Tony Allen, CEO of the Age Check Certification Scheme, the UK-based organisation overseeing the Australian trial. The trial found "no significant tech barriers" to rolling out a software-based scheme in Australia, although there was "no one-size-fits-all solution, and no solution that worked perfectly in all deployments," Allen added in an online presentation. Allen noted that some age-assurance software firms "don't really know at this stage what data they may need to be able to support law enforcement and regulators in the future. "There's a risk there that they could be inadvertently over-collecting information that wouldn't be used or needed." Organisers of the trial, which concluded earlier this month, gave no data findings and offered only a broad overview which did not name individual products. They will deliver a report to the government next month which officials have said will inform an industry consultation ahead of the December deadline. A spokesperson for the office of the eSafety Commissioner, which will advise the government on how to implement the ban, said the preliminary findings were a "useful indication of the likely outcomes from the trial. [[nid:705771]] "We are pleased to see the trial suggests that age assurance technologies, when deployed the right way and likely in conjunction with other techniques and methods, can be private, robust and effective," the spokesperson said. The Australian ban is being watched closely around the world with several governments exploring ways to limit children's exposure to social media.
Express Tribune
6 hours ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
Teen social media ban clears first hurdle in Australia
Some age-checking applications collect too much data and no product works 100% of the time, but using software to enforce a teenage social media ban can work in Australia, the head of the world's biggest trial of the technology said on Friday. The view from the government-commissioned Age Assurance Technology Trial of more than 1,000 Australian school students and hundreds of adults is a boost to the country's plan to keep under 16s off social media. From December, in a world first ban, companies like Facebook and Instagram owner Meta, Snapchat, and TikTok must prove they are taking reasonable steps to block young people from their platforms or face a fine of up to A$49.5 million ($32 million). Since the Australian government announced the legislation last year, child protection advocates, tech industry groups and children themselves have questioned whether the ban can be enforced due to workarounds like Virtual Private Networks, which obscure an internet user's location. "Age assurance can be done in Australia privately, efficiently and effectively," said Tony Allen, CEO of the Age Check Certification Scheme, the UK-based organisation overseeing the Australian trial. The trial found "no significant tech barriers" to rolling out a software-based scheme in Australia, although there was "no one-size-fits-all solution, and no solution that worked perfectly in all deployments," Allen added in an online presentation. Allen noted that some age-assurance software firms "don't really know at this stage what data they may need to be able to support law enforcement and regulators in the future. "There's a risk there that they could be inadvertently over-collecting information that wouldn't be used or needed." Organisers of the trial, which concluded earlier this month, gave no data findings and offered only a broad overview which did not name individual products. They will deliver a report to the government next month which officials have said will inform an industry consultation ahead of the December deadline. A spokesperson for the office of the eSafety Commissioner, which will advise the government on how to implement the ban, said the preliminary findings were a "useful indication of the likely outcomes from the trial. "We are pleased to see the trial suggests that age assurance technologies, when deployed the right way and likely in conjunction with other techniques and methods, can be private, robust and effective," the spokesperson said. The Australian ban is being watched closely around the world with several governments exploring ways to limit children's exposure to social media.
India Today
19 hours ago
- Business
- India Today
Kids under 16 may soon face social media ban after Australia proves it has tech for age verification
Australia is preparing to become the first country in the world to enforce a nationwide ban on social media use for children under the age of 16. This bold move now appears increasingly likely after a major government-backed trial found that age verification technology can work both effectively and privately. The Age Assurance Technology Trial, involving over 1,000 school students and hundreds of adults, tested how well current tools could verify a user's age without over-collecting personal data. The trial was overseen by the UK-based nonprofit Age Check Certification Scheme (ACCS), and the results are being seen as a key step towards making Australia's proposed legislation a no significant tech barrier to age assurance in Australia,' said Tony Allen, CEO of ACCS. Speaking at an online briefing, Allen acknowledged that no system is perfect, but emphasised that 'age assurance can be done in Australia privately, efficiently and effectively.'Although some tools may collect more data than necessary, Allen stressed the importance of balance. 'There's a risk some solutions over-collect data that won't even be used. That's something to watch.'Here is how the system will work At the heart of the proposed verification model is a layered approach. It begins with traditional ID-based checks using documents like passport or driver's licence. These are verified through independent systems, and platforms never directly access the estimation adds another layer: users can upload a selfie or short video that AI analyses to determine age. This method is quick and does not store biometric data. A third component – contextual inference – draws from behavioural patterns such as email type, language, and digital behaviour to further estimate a user's age. While not reliable alone, it helps strengthen the system when used with other these technologies aim to prevent children from easily bypassing checks while also respecting December 2025, platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and X will be required to take 'reasonable steps' to keep underage users off their services. If they fail, they could face penalties of up to A$49.5 million (which is about US $32 million) per platforms, including YouTube, WhatsApp and Google Classroom, are exempt for now. Australia's move is being closely monitored by other countries, including the UK, New Zealand, and members of the EU, all of which are exploring ways to regulate children's access to social media. The Australian government sees this trial as proof that privacy and child protection can go hand in hand. A spokesperson for the eSafety Commissioner's office reportedly called the findings 'a useful indication of the likely outcomes from the trial', and added that when deployed correctly, the technologies 'can be private, robust and effective.'Despite the positive trial results, there are still some caveats. Children may try to bypass age checks using VPNs, shared devices or borrowed credentials. It will now be up to social media platforms to detect and prevent these workarounds – a responsibility they've rarely shouldered at this scale In
Straits Times
a day ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Australia social media teen ban software trial organisers say the tech works
SYDNEY - Some age-checking applications collect too much data and no product works 100% of the time, but using software to enforce a teenage social media ban can work in Australia, the head of the world's biggest trial of the technology said on Friday. The view from the government-commissioned Age Assurance Technology Trial of more than 1,000 Australian school students and hundreds of adults is a boost to the country's plan to keep under 16s off social media. From December, in a world first ban, companies like Facebook and Instagram owner Meta, Snapchat and TikTok must prove they are taking reasonable steps to block young people from their platforms or face a fine of up A$49.5 million ($32 million). Since the Australian government announced the legislation last year, child protection advocates, tech industry groups and children themselves have questioned whether the ban can be enforced due to workarounds like Virtual Private Networks, which obscure an internet user's location. "Age assurance can be done in Australia privately, efficiently and effectively," said Tony Allen, CEO of the Age Check Certification Scheme, the UK-based organisation overseeing the Australian trial. The trial found "no significant tech barriers" to rolling out a software-based scheme in Australia, although there was "no one-size-fits-all solution, and no solution that worked perfectly in all deployments," Allen added in an online presentation. Allen noted that some age-assurance software firms "don't really know at this stage what data they may need to be able to support law enforcement and regulators in the future. "There's a risk there that they could be inadvertently over-collecting information that wouldn't be used or needed." Organisers of the trial, which concluded earlier this month, gave no data findings and offered only a broad overview which did not name individual products. They will deliver a report to the government next month which officials have said will inform an industry consultation ahead of the December deadline. A spokesperson for the office of the eSafety Commissioner, which will advise the government on how to implement the ban, said the preliminary findings were a "useful indication of the likely outcomes from the trial. "We are pleased to see the trial suggests that age assurance technologies, when deployed the right way and likely in conjunction with other techniques and methods, can be private, robust and effective," the spokesperson said. The Australian ban is being watched closely around the world with several governments exploring ways to limit children's exposure to social media. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
ABC News
a day ago
- Business
- ABC News
Trial finds age assurance can be done, as under-16s social media ban deadline looms
The organisation contracted by the government to assess technologies that could be used to implement the social media ban for under-16s says options exist to verify the age of users privately, robustly and effectively. Australia's world-leading laws to stop children and teenagers accessing some social media platforms are due to come into force in December, after the legislation passed parliament with bipartisan support late last year. A 12-month buffer was built into the legislation to allow time for the e-Safety commissioner to figure out how to implement the ban, with consultations to begin next week, and the Age Assurance Technology Trial to be completed. The Age Check Certification Scheme and software consultancy firm KJR were commissioned by the government last year to lead the testing and released their preliminary report on Friday, which offered a snapshot of "broad patterns and trends". Companies that offer age assurance technology voluntarily put themselves forward for the trial, with interviews and testing then conducted on selected methods. But the two-page preliminary report does not include details of what tests have been undertaken or the results of individual methods and technologies. "The preliminary findings indicate that there are no significant technological barriers preventing the deployment of effective age assurance systems," project director Tony Allen said. "These solutions are technically feasible, can be integrated flexibly into existing services and can support the safety and rights of children online." The government is not treating the trial as a test of whether the social media ban can be implemented, nor a process to identify a single product or method to be imposed on tech companies to meet their obligations under the new laws. The full results are expected to be handed to the communications minister by the end of next month, then made public later this year, but some experts have already raised concerns. Earlier this week, ABC News revealed that face-scanning technology tested on school students as part of the trial this year could only guess their age within an 18-month range in 85 per cent of cases. "I don't think the ban is viable," RMIT professor Lisa Given, who closely analysed the government's policy, told ABC News. The preliminary report also found "concerning evidence" that, in the absence of specific guidance from government, some social media companies were "over-anticipating the eventual needs of regulators" about information that might be required for future investigations. This included some providers that were found to be building tools to allow law enforcement agencies and regulators to retrace steps of verification, "which could lead to increased risk of privacy breaches due to unnecessary and disproportionate collection and retention of data". The age assurance trial was initially conceived to assess the viability of technology to prevent children from accessing pornography online and has considered a range of methods. It found there was no "one-size-fits-all" technology and that platforms would have to determine which one best suited their needs. Under the ban, anyone under the age of 16 will be blocked from using platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook, a move the government and the Coalition argue is necessary to protect children and teenagers' mental health and wellbeing. While the ban only applies to young people, it will likely also require adults to verify their ages with social media providers. Tech giants will face fines of up to $50 million if they fail to take "reasonable steps" to keep children and teens off their platforms. There are no penalties for parents of young people who subvert the ban. Since the ban was announced, questions have been raised over whether existing technology could adequately police social media user ages, with the government yet to reveal how it will work in practice. It does not have to adopt any findings from the trial, which has been running for about eight months, while the laws prevent social media companies from forcing users to hand over their government IDs. Shadow communications minister Melissa McIntosh said the "time is ticking" for the government to implement the ban, which was first lobbied for by the Coalition. "We are six months away from the age limit commencing and social media companies need clarity now around what requirements must be put in place to protect our children," she said. "The government must get this right. No more young lives can be lost or families destroyed because of the toxicity of social media." A spokesperson for Communications Minister Anika Wells, who took over the portfolio from Michelle Rowland after the election, said the final findings of the trial would be provided to the eSafety Commissioner to inform her implementation of the laws. "The government will be guided by advice from the eSafety Commissioner on the implementation of the law," the statement read. "We know that social media age restrictions will not be the be-all and end-all solution for harms experienced by young people online, but it's a step in the right direction to keep our kids safer." An eSafety spokesperson welcomed the early findings and said the trial results would be just one input as they worked out how to implement the social media age restrictions. "We are pleased to see the trial suggests that age assurance technologies, when deployed the right way and likely in conjunction with other techniques and methods, can be private, robust and effective," they said.
