Mark comments:
“Australia’s U16 social media ban is a bold swing at a complex problem, but it risks becoming the digital equivalent of locking the front door while leaving every window wide open. The whole scheme hinges on age verification systems that are notoriously unreliable – able to read the same teenager as 14 or 43 depending on the angle, and apparently no match for a Beyoncé filter.”
“Once you ban something, you invite workarounds: VPNs, alternate accounts, and whatever creative loopholes young people invent next. More importantly, a ban sidesteps the deeper issue of dangerous content and lax platform accountability. If we simply exile under-16s from mainstream platforms without fixing the ecosystem, we’re not creating safety; we’re simply delaying exposure until their 16th birthday. In a world where kids learn, socialise, and play online, this blunt tool may look decisive, but it’s unlikely to deliver the safer internet we all actually want.”
‘Jones’ comments reflect a growing concern among legal and policy experts that age-verification technology, which can include facial analysis or ID checks, may produce inaccurate results or create new privacy risks if large volumes of identity data are collected.’
‘Jones argued that the focus on access controls can obscure these questions of platform responsibility for harmful material and design features.’
Click here to read the full article:
Australia under-16 social media ban sparks backlash
For further information, please contact Mark Jones, Partner in the Criminal Defence team or, alternatively, telephone on 020 7693 5875.
