A new study reports that Australia’s under-16 social media restrictions are not being consistently enforced at the point of age verification. The study describes software testing in which researchers created 50 social media accounts after the law came into force. Across the accounts, the testers say the major platforms did not request proof of age. According to the reports, the testers entered a birthdate indicating users were 16 years old, and no age documentation was produced or checked before allowing access.
The outlets covering the study, including Channel NewsAsia and multiple Australian and international newspapers, describe the same core finding: the “first hurdle” of verifying age appears to be missing or inadequate in the onboarding process. The reports also characterize the result as meaning under-16 users may be able to bypass restrictions by submitting a false birthdate.
The study’s conclusion is based on the testers’ experience during account creation, focusing on whether platforms asked for age verification rather than assessing other enforcement steps or content moderation measures.
