Australian kids finding ways around country’s new under-16 social media ban

A law that bans social media for those under 16 took effect in Australia Wednesday, but some of the nation’s kids are already finding ways to get around the technology powering the ban.

Some teens have claimed that the facial verification tests used to confirm a person’s age can still be passed by those who are underage. One 14-year-old, who did not provide her name, told Australian radio station 2GB that “there’s nothing like IDs. You just have to do a facial recognition which nearly all of my friends pass,” according to Sky News.

Noah Jones, 15, from Sydney, Australia, told The Telegraph that to get back into Snapchat, he “just looked at [the camera], frowned a little bit, and it said I was over 16.”

Drawn-on facial hair has also fooled age verification technology, according to The Associated Press. Parents have also reported that facial verification is not working as expected.

Jillian in the state of New South Wales, who did not provide a surname, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that “I have a 12-year-old daughter. She and her friends were identified as 17+ simply by putting on some fake lashes and makeup. Even without the [make-up] she was identified as 14+. So either way, these young girls are likely exposed to more inappropriate chats or content than they were before.”

David, a dad in the state of Victoria, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that “My son opened TikTok … and received this message: ’The social media ban has come into effect. Your age is estimated to be 18 years old.’ He is 11.”

Other kids are using other people’s faces entirely.

“We’ve heard of kids borrowing devices or using family members for facial age checks. Some parents are aware, others aren’t, but either way, it’s a gap that’s being actively exploited. Some parents are also willing to actively support their kids bypassing the ban,” said Yasmin London, a safety expert for parental control app Qustodio, to the Sydney Morning Herald.

Australians are also searching out virtual private networks (VPNs) that let a user access the Internet as if they were located somewhere else — Google searches in Australia for VPNs surged to a 10-year high ahead of the ban taking effect, according to Reuters.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is so far undeterred by the opposition and the prospect of kids getting around the ban.

“This is the law. This isn’t something that can be flouted. One of the things that’s happening is that some young people who haven’t yet been pulled off social media are sending out notices. Are bragging about it. Of course, that just tells the platforms who they are, and so it will be taken down,” Mr. Albanese told Sky News.