• Australia's trial shows that age verification technology can be implemented effectively.
• From December, social media companies face fines for failing to block under-16 users.
• Concerns remain about workarounds like VPNs and data over-collection.
• The trial involves over 1,000 students, testing various verification methods.
• Initial findings indicate no significant technological barriers to deployment.

The recent Age Assurance Technology Trial in Australia has shown promising results for the enforcement of a ban preventing individuals under 16 from accessing social media platforms. According to initial findings, although no technology is foolproof, the trial concluded that age verification can work “privately, robustly and effectively,” as stated by Tony Allen, CEO of the overseeing organization India Times, Dawn, and Reuters.

Starting in December, social media companies like Meta (Facebook and Instagram), TikTok, and Snapchat must demonstrate "reasonable steps" to prevent under-16s from using their platforms, or risk facing fines up to A$49.5 million ($32 million). The law has been seen as "one of the world’s toughest crackdowns" on social media, according to Dawn and Reuters.

Despite the positive trial results, concerns linger regarding the potential for teenagers to circumvent such measures using technologies like Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). Allen emphasized that while there are no significant technological barriers to deployment, there is no one-size-fits-all solution, indicating variability in effectiveness based on specific circumstances, as noted by India Times, Reuters, and Dawn.

The trial, which involved over 1,000 school students and adults, tested various means of age verification such as facial recognition and behavior analysis. While some technologies demonstrated a high accuracy rate, others faced critiques for misidentifying users or producing inconsistent results. The complete findings of the trial are expected to be submitted to the Australian government soon, as confirmed by Reuters and Dawn.