Subhead:Social media companies are requiring government IDs for age checks ahead of the controversial under-16 ban.#
Major social media platforms including Meta, TikTok, Google, and Snapchat have implemented government-issued IDs as part of their age-verification processes ahead of Australia’s under-16 ban, despite repeated assurances from Communications Minister Anika Wells that ID uploads would not be necessary.
The rollout involves a variety of age-assurance methods, from biometric analysis to credit-card verification, but users may still have to submit sensitive documents if automated systems fail, given the known limitations of age-estimation technology.
