Social Media Companies Allowed to Collect IDs for Age Verification Under Amended Teen Social Media Ban Bill
Social media companies like TikTok and Meta will still be able to collect driver licenses, passports, and Digital IDs to determine a user’s age under the amended teen social media ban bill. However, they must also provide alternative methods to verify a user’s age.
Proposed Amendments to the Online Safety Amendment Bill
On Wednesday afternoon, the Albanese government introduced amendments to the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024 [Provisions] to address concerns raised by members of both major parties. One of the main concerns was that Australians would only be able to access social media by providing government IDs or Digital IDs to prove they were over 16 years old.
The amended bill would prohibit social media companies from solely accepting government IDs for age verification. Companies that fail to provide alternative options, such as facial image analysis or user interactions, could face fines of up to 30,000 penalty units (approximately $9.9 million).
Key Points of the Amendment
- Alternative age verification methods must be provided by social media companies.
- The minister has the authority to restrict certain age determination methods.
- Data collected for age verification purposes must be destroyed afterward.
These changes align with existing practices of major social media platforms while raising the minimum age for platform usage to 16 years old.
The government has indicated that the social media ban bill is one of many bills it aims to pass on the last scheduled sitting day of the year. The Coalition is expected to support the legislation, although Senator Matt Canavan has called for further scrutiny and proposed amendments.
Conclusion
The amended bill strikes a balance between age verification requirements and user privacy, ensuring that social media companies can verify users’ age while respecting their data protection rights. By mandating alternative verification methods and data destruction, the bill aims to enhance online safety for teenage users.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why are social media companies allowed to collect IDs for age verification?
Social media companies can collect IDs for age verification under the amended bill to ensure compliance with the minimum age requirement of 16 years old. However, they must also offer alternative verification methods to users.
2. What happens if social media companies do not provide alternative age verification options?
If social media companies fail to offer alternative age verification methods, they could face significant fines of up to 30,000 penalty units.