With the nationwide under-16 social media ban just days from enforcement, the Coalition is pressing the Albanese Government to detail what happens if age-verification systems fail.
Shadow Communications Minister Melissa McIntosh has said that Labor has not adequately explained contingency measures if verification software cannot accurately distinguish minors from adults when the ban activates next Wednesday.
Under the rules, platforms must block access for anyone under 16 or risk fines of up to $49.5 million.
Speaking to ABC Radio National Breakfast this morning, McIntosh raised concerns that users may be forced to hand over sensitive identification if the technology struggles to verify age.
“If the age verification technology, which is a third-party provider, doesn’t work and it can’t verify someone’s age, the platforms will compel people to either produce their driver’s licence or their birth certificate,” McIntosh said.
She warned that this requirement could result in personal data being held overseas, beyond Australian regulatory reach.
“The data is then stored offshore, and we do not know how long people’s private information is going to be stored in these offshore data centres. That is also a big concern,” she said.
McIntosh also pointed to mixed messaging surrounding the rollout, particularly around YouTube’s final inclusion in the ban after initially seeking exemption as a streaming rather than social platform.
Meta, meanwhile, has already begun proactively removing Australian users under 16 from Instagram, Threads and Facebook ahead of the world-first ban coming into effect next week. The company has already notified affected users that their accounts will be locked and inaccessible, with access restored only once they turn 16 or verify their age.
In a statement, the company confirmed its phase-out is underway but stressed full enforcement will take time. “While we are working hard to remove all users who we understand to be under the age of 16 by 10 December, compliance with the law will be an ongoing and multilayered process,” a Meta spokesperson said.
With implementation approaching rapidly and public confidence already mixed according to a recent PureProfile study, the Coalition is stacking up pressure on the government to be more accountable and transparent over what happens if things go wrong – a concern that will need to be addressed before teens begin to attempt logging in under the new regime.
