Today is October 28 and here is your Inside Auspol
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Australia will enforce the world’s most restrictive social media regulation on December 10, banning all individuals under 16 from platforms including Instagram, TikTok and Facebook without exceptions for parental consent. The legislation, which passed in nine days, imposes fines up to $49.5 million on platforms for systematic failures to comply. While 77% of Australians support the measure amid concerns about youth mental health, more than 140 leading experts, civil liberties organizations and the Australian Human Rights Commission oppose the law, citing privacy violations and procedural concerns.
The ban requires age verification for all users, not just minors, raising significant privacy concerns for the entire population. Three primary verification methods include facial recognition, biometric scans with government identity documents, or comprehensive behavioral monitoring of online activity. Australia’s privacy commissioner warned the system creates risks of excessive data collection, particularly concerning following recent massive data breaches at Optus and Medibank affecting nearly 20 million records. Critics note facial recognition technology has a mean error rate of 1.3 to 1.5 years and performs worse for girls and people of color.
Experts warn the legislation may produce unintended consequences, including pushing youth toward unmoderated online spaces without safety protections and removing platform accountability for creating safer services. UNICEF Australia and suicide prevention advocates expressed particular concern for vulnerable populations, noting that 70% of Australian youth access mental health support through social media. For LGBTQ+ teens in rural areas, online communities provide crucial support networks. Youth advocates report being systematically excluded from the consultation process despite being directly affected by the legislation.
The Australian Human Rights Commission formally objected to the ban, citing violations of international treaties regarding children’s rights to information, expression and association. The law removes parental discretion entirely, preventing families from making individual decisions about their children’s online access. Twenty-seven countries are monitoring Australia’s approach, which contrasts with the UK’s duty of care model that requires platforms to proactively prevent harm through design changes rather than access restrictions
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