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Communications and Sports Minister Annika Wells announced new research demonstrating that technology exists for social media platforms to verify users' ages, as Australia prepares to take its under-16 social media ban proposal to the United Nations.
Speaking on ABC News Australia, Wells said the Age Assurance Trial Research was released Tuesday, providing evidence that major social media companies have the technical capability to keep children under 16 off their platforms.
"Yes, we have the Age Assurance Trial Research Inn. It's out in public today and it's just the latest piece of research that tells us that this tech is available to the platforms to keep kids safe online," Wells said. "They are some of the world's richest companies. They are leading the forefront at AI. They have the ability to age assure kids and keep them safe online."
The research release comes as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese prepares to present Australia's social media age restrictions to the United Nations, positioning the country as a global leader in online child safety regulation.
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Wells acknowledged that social media companies oppose the restrictions, particularly concerns the policy could be adopted internationally. However, she defended the government's approach as fundamentally fair.
"These social media platforms get our data. They use our data for their own commercial interests and for profit," Wells said. "It's only fair to ask them to use that data to keep Australian kids safe online as well."
The minister addressed technical limitations in age verification technology, referencing previous reports showing accuracy rates of 85 percent within 18 months of actual ages, with some teenagers misidentified as 30-year-olds.
"We're not chasing perfection here, James, let's make that clear. We're chasing a meaningful difference," Wells said. "We're chasing significant impact and a cultural change in this country about what's acceptable and what's not acceptable."
Wells explained the research identifies multiple methods social media platforms can use to verify users' ages, emphasizing the government's focus on meaningful impact rather than perfect enforcement.
"This age assurance trial tells us that there are a myriad of different ways that social media platforms can assure themselves of someone's age to make sure that kids are safe online," she said.
International interest in Australia's approach has grown significantly, according to Wells, who confirmed discussions with other countries about adopting similar reforms.
"There is a lot of interest from other countries about what we are doing because we are leading the world on these reforms," she said. "I think Australians, we have a real sense of decency and fairness."
During the same interview, Wells condemned recent right-wing extremist rallies against mass migration, describing the timing and violence toward police as particularly appalling.
"What a horrible week to choose to do something that is never acceptable," Wells said, referencing protests that occurred Monday. "Victorian police, particularly under pressure at the moment, people were violent and aggressive toward the cops. I think that's particularly appalling."
The minister emphasized social cohesion concerns, directly addressing racist elements present at the rallies.
"At a time when social cohesion is really important, we want everybody to know there is no place for hatred in this country," Wells said. "To see known racists out there trying to incite it, it's appalling."
Wells connected the extremist activities to broader online safety concerns, noting how social media facilitates the rapid spread of conspiracy theories and extremist ideologies.
"Sovereign citizens are often born out of conspiracy theories that tend to take flight, and as the Minister for Communications, my focus is on online safety and what we can do to make sure that people aren't using any weapon or tool at their disposal to spread hatred," she said.
The minister highlighted how digital platforms have transformed the landscape for conspiracy theory propagation compared to previous generations.
"I think a key difference is that back in the day, if you had a conspiracy theory, you had to find somebody else who shared that belief, now you can pick up your phone and find someone within seconds," Wells said. "That's something that's upon all of us to navigate."
In her capacity as Sports Minister, Wells addressed recent LGBTQ+ inclusion issues in the Australian Football League following public statements from the first openly gay AFL player about persistent homophobia in the sport.
Wells referenced a Four Corners investigation that previously exposed problems within Australian sports culture, crediting it with driving government action to improve safety and inclusion.
"That gave rise to all of us, and particularly me as the Sport Minister, looking to make sure that we are doing everything we can to make the Australian sporting ecosystem safe and as safe as possible," she said.
The minister emphasized efforts to create environments where athletes feel comfortable being authentic and speaking up about discrimination.
"To ensure that there is a culture where people feel like they can be their own selves, speak up where necessary," Wells said. "Whilst progress isn't linear, Mitch himself has contributed to progress and it's courageous and we thank him for it."
The interview also featured a lighthearted moment when hosts played archival footage of Wells as a child contributor to the classic Australian television program Mr. Squiggle, where she submitted a drawing request from her home in Eight Mile Plains, Queensland.
Wells good-naturedly acknowledged the childhood television appearance alongside her political achievements.
"I'm really proud of the aged care reforms we've delivered. I'm really proud of giving birth to twins in COVID as the most marginal seat in parliament. But, yeah, that might be my proudest moment," she said.
The Age Assurance Trial Research represents a significant development in Australia's efforts to regulate social media access for minors, providing technical evidence to support legislation that has faced industry resistance and implementation challenges.
As Parliament returns to session this week, the research release positions the government to advance its online safety agenda while addressing international skepticism about the technical feasibility of age verification systems.
The minister's comments underscore the government's multi-pronged approach to online safety, connecting social media regulation to broader concerns about extremism, conspiracy theories, and social cohesion in Australian society.
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