Recent findings suggest that social media platforms are not consistently verifying the ages of users attempting to create accounts under Australia's ban for individuals under 16. Software testers reported that several companies did not implement any age verification measures for accounts set to 16 years old. Of the ten services tested, including prominent platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube, nine reportedly failed to check user ages. Kick, a streaming platform, was noted as an exception, as it did request age verification.
In one documented instance, an X (formerly Twitter) account claiming to be 16 was reportedly shown pornographic content. A Meta spokesperson commented that test accounts were not subject to scrutiny because it was unclear if they had "posted content or engaged in a way a true under-16-year-old user would," implying usage patterns were not indicative of the claimed age. Andrew Hammond, a director at the firm that conducted the trial, stated that users should be asked to demonstrate their age, and his team was never prompted for verification or age-assurance measures.
The eSafety commissioner's office has expressed confidence that platforms possess the necessary technology and resources to prevent Australian children under 16 from creating accounts. However, the effectiveness of these measures appears to depend on the implementation by the platform holders themselves. The challenge is compounded by existing methods that can circumvent age verification processes. Reports from the past have highlighted ways to bypass checks on platforms like Discord using a phone and a video game, and even through the use of 3D models in web browsers.