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"Delaying children's access to social media accounts gives them valuable time to learn and grow, free of the powerful, unseen forces of harmful and deceptive design features such as opaque algorithms and endless scroll," said Australia's eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant. Messaging services Discord and WhatsApp and gaming platforms Lego Play and Roblox will not be included, nor will Google Classroom and YouTube Kids. Federal Communications Minister Anika Wells said the online platforms can target children with "chilling control" and the ban was about protecting children. "We aren't chasing perfection, we are chasing a meaningful difference," she said. It is unclear how companies will implement the ban - which is being closely watched by global leaders - but some of the potential methods include using official ID documents, parental approval and facial recognition technology. Critics have raised concerns over data privacy and the accuracy of age verification software, with a recent report showing the proposed methods all have risks or shortcomings.
