• Australia's Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, announced a plan to enforce age verification on social media and destroy the data afterwards.
• The move aims to ban under-16s from using social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X, and Snapchat.
• Critics argue the proposal infringes on young people's rights and could limit their access to vital online resources.
• Proponents believe it's a necessary measure to protect young people from potential harms of social media, setting a precedent for global online regulation.

In a groundbreaking move, Australia's Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, announced on Monday that social media companies would be required to destroy personal data used to verify the ages of users. This is part of a broader initiative to ban under-16s from using these services, a measure that has been met with both praise and criticism. The Australian government is planning to trial an age-verification system that could include biometrics or government identification to enforce a social media age cut-off. This represents some of the most stringent controls imposed by any country to date.

Prime Minister Albanese addressed parliament on Monday, stating, There will be very strong and strict privacy requirements to protect people's personal information, including an obligation to destroy information provided once age has been verified. This statement underscores the government's commitment to protecting the privacy of its citizens, even as it seeks to regulate their online activity.

The proposed laws would have a significant impact on major social media platforms, including Meta Platforms' Instagram and Facebook, Bytedance's TikTok, Elon Musk's X, and Snapchat. These platforms have been the subject of criticism from various figures, including Musk himself, who on Friday claimed that the legislation was a backdoor attempt to control access to the internet for all Australians.

Global Precedents and Unique Features

This move by the Australian government is not without precedent. In the past, other countries have also attempted to regulate the use of social media by minors. For instance, in 2018, France passed a law banning children under 15 from using their phones in school, citing concerns about the impact of excessive screen time on young people's development. Similarly, in 2019, the UK proposed an independent regulator to oversee internet safety, including age verification for certain online platforms.

However, the Australian proposal is unique in its scope and severity. The lack of exemptions for parental consent and pre-existing accounts sets it apart from similar initiatives in other countries. Furthermore, the proposed fines for non-compliance are among the highest globally.

Critics of the proposal argue that it infringes on the rights of young people and could potentially limit their access to vital online resources. They also point out that the enforcement of such measures could be challenging, given the global nature of the internet and the difficulty of accurately verifying users' ages.

On the other hand, proponents of the bill argue that it is a necessary measure to protect young people from the potential harms of social media, including cyberbullying, online grooming, and exposure to inappropriate content. They also point out that the destruction of personal data used for age verification addresses potential privacy concerns.