Australia ready to roll out mandatory age checks for all internet users, focusing on big players such as Google and Microsoft. As of December 27th, these companies will be required to use new age-assurance technology. This technology will check users’ ages during the sign-in process, or they owe users up to $47 million per violation. This historic restriction is a first step toward protecting children from toxic content—like pornography. It also poses major issues related to privacy and effectiveness.
The new regulations represent a historic turn in Australia’s digital landscape. Just as the government continues to call for a safer online world, millions of Australians will soon feel their lives impacted by having their age verified. This new initiative seeks to prevent youth from being exposed to sexually explicit content online. It is a key piece of a larger strategy to protect young users by providing a safer digital experience.
New Age-Assurance Technology Requirements
Under the new rules, Google and Microsoft will need to implement one of only seven approved methods for age verification. These techniques employ different ways to check age. These range from photo ID checks, facial recognition tools, and credit card verification, to digital ID systems, parental vouching, AI age estimation from existing data, and third-party verification services.
Jennifer Duxbury, policy director at Digital Industry Group Inc. (DIGI), recognized the heavy lift.
“No single measure is completely foolproof.” – Jennifer Duxbury, DIGI’s policy director
Even with these different approaches, questions remain about their accuracy. John Pane, chair of Electronic Frontiers Australia (EFA), highlighted the elephant in the room. He contended that these were not the best ways to deter teenagers hellbent on accessing adult material.
“This won’t stop the teenager who wants to access pornography from accessing pornography … It won’t stop the sharing of pornographic images,” – John Pane
As Pane further pointed out, these bans can be quickly sidestepped by any tech-savvy user through the use of virtual private networks (VPNs).
Privacy Concerns and Expert Opinions
The initiative aims to shield children from damaging online content. Experts are warning it would infringe upon users’ privacy rights. Professor Lisa Given, an expert in age-assurance technology from RMIT University, expressed her concerns. It’s one thing to talk about these implications when we’re discussing a much smaller, localized system, says Evans.
“Are we really, as a country, willing to accept that age assurance is going to be required for every single thing we do online?” – Professor Lisa Given
As we reported last week, Australia is experimenting with this approach. She explained how no other country has gone as far to regulate their citizens’ internet behaviour.
In an interview, the Australian government’s chief spokesperson on the issue focused on the need to balance online safety with user privacy.
“This government has made no secret of its strong commitment to online safety for all Australians, while recognising the need to balance this imperative with protecting the privacy of users.” – Government spokesperson
Concerns about the effectiveness of age-assurance technology were flagged by Pane, who raised doubts as to the evidence underpinning these controls.
“One of the other concerns that we have is that there’s no evidence as to the efficacy of the [age-assurance] technical controls.” – John Pane
The Role of Regulatory Bodies
At the center of this transition is Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant. She has agreed to registering nine consumer protections this year that will shape how internet service providers operate in Australia. Inman Grant hopes these provisions will be a crucial line of defense against dangerous, unsolicited content.
“These provisions will serve as a bulwark and operate in lock step with the new social media age limits.” – Julie Inman Grant
Inman Grant reiterated the need for a layered approach to safety. This strategy encompasses protecting app stores, and by extension, the personal devices we use to access the internet.
“It’s critical to ensure the layered safety approach … including on the app stores and at the device level — the physical gateways to the internet where kids sign up and first declare their ages.” – Julie Inman Grant
Lizzie O’Shea, digital rights watch chair, was right to flag them. She pointed to the danger of introducing radical changes before sufficient public debate and social consensus.
“There is not a social licence for such important and nuanced changes.” – Lizzie O’Shea
