Australia's Social Media Age Ban: Cutting-Edge Technology or Privacy Nightmare?

The Australian government is trialing technologies to implement a social media ban for individuals under 16, slated to take effect in December. Preliminary results suggest these methods are robust, but face criticism from privacy advocates and technology experts.

While early findings indicate support for alternative age-assurance methods, such as facial and hand movement recognition, there are questions about their accuracy and potential privacy implications. A survey of 4,000 Australians shows overwhelming support for the ban, but many express significant concerns over implementation.

Notably, face-scanning technologies used in the trial have shown high error rates, often misidentifying teenagers' ages. This could result in under-16s gaining access while some older teens might be wrongly excluded. With the technology still developing, experts remain skeptical about its readiness by December.

(With inputs from agencies.)