Key facts
- Australia's internet regulator identified significant gaps in Big Tech's efforts to combat child sexual abuse and online extortion.
- Platforms are not adequately utilizing available technologies like language analysis to detect sexual extortion scripts.
- A study found that social media platforms are failing at the initial step of age verification for users under 16.
- Nine platforms, including Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube, did not ask for age proof on 50 test accounts declared as 16 years old.
- Only one Australian platform, Kick, refused to let users create an account without proof of age.
Australia's internet regulator has identified significant gaps in the efforts of major technology companies to combat child sexual abuse and online extortion. A recent study further revealed that these platforms are failing at the initial step of age verification for users under 16, rendering a world-first teen social media ban ineffective.
The study, conducted by a team that advised the government on the rollout of the ban, found that platforms did not ask for age proof on 50 test accounts declared as 16 years old. While platforms do not allow users to sign up if they declare they are under 16, only one Australian platform, Kick, refused to let users create an account without proof of age.
This failure in age verification comes as the government has warned of potential enforcement lawsuits against five platforms and doubled the maximum fine for non-compliance, accusing them of setting the ban up to fail. Platforms argue they are following the regulator's guidance, which prioritizes low-friction vetting as a first step, and are prohibited from relying solely on government-issued identification due to privacy concerns.