Instagram has warned children under 16 that their accounts will be closed.
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Australia's unprecedented social media ban on under-16s has finally come into force, but the new law's first day has revealed some problems, including the fact that some children have managed to outwit age verification technology designed to deny them access to their accounts.
The policy has been met with support from many parents, who hope it will lead to less online bullying, more time outdoors and less exposure to inappropriate content. In other neighborhoods there was criticism that a ban would be ineffective and counterproductive, and countless satirical memes.
Andrew Hammond from consulting firm KJR in Canberra, Australia, which led the age verification trial for the Australian government, was keeping a close eye on how events unfolded today. He says he's spoken to a number of parents with children who should be banned but have not yet lost access to their accounts. “There are definitely people who have said they've gotten around it or haven't gotten the hint yet,” Hammond says, although he expects more accounts to be shut down next week.
Meta, the owner of the two largest social networks subject to ban, Instagram and Facebook, said New scientist today that about a week ago he started removing access to accounts. “To date, we have removed all accounts that we believe are under 16 years of age,” says a Meta spokesperson. “As Australia's social media ban comes into effect, Meta has removed access to Instagram, Threads and Facebook for teenagers we understand to be under 16, and will prohibit new users under 16 from creating accounts.”
Meta declined to provide specific information on the number of accounts removed, although a spokesperson pointed to data released earlier this year showing that in Australia there are about 150,000 children aged 13 to 15 on Facebook and about 350,000 on Instagram. This means at least half a million young Australians have now had their accounts deleted on these two platforms alone.
The company says it is committed to meeting its legal obligations, but even on the first day of the ban, many of the concerns raised by community groups and some parents are beginning to be realized. “These include isolating vulnerable teens from receiving support from online communities, forcing teens to use less regulated apps and parts of the internet, inconsistent age verification practices, and low interest in compliance among many teens and parents,” the spokesperson says.
Hammond says there are still many unanswered questions, such as details of what will happen to under-16s who are on holiday or studying in Australia. The government has already announced the law will apply to visiting teenagers. While Australians are deleting their accounts, Hammond says it's likely that visitors will simply see their accounts blocked. “But there are only a few hours left before the ban, so I think a lot of water is still under the bridge in terms of how this will work.”
As the law comes into full force, Hammond, Australia and the rest of the world are watching to see what happens next. “Now we'll look at how dedicated children under 16 really are to their social media,” he says. Perhaps “they'll be walking down the street, kicking balls and playing cricket,” says Hammond, “but if it's really ingrained in their lives, then we'll start to see a lot of attempts at circumvention.”
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