As a social media ban for under-16s looms in Australia, Meta has begun notifying teenage Facebook and Instagram users about the fate of their accounts.
When the ban goes into effect on December 10th, Meta will revoke access to existing accounts for teenagers and prohibit users under 16 from opening new accounts starting December 4th. Once you turn 16, you’ll be able to access any old accounts you leave behind.
But people aren’t always truthful about their age when signing up for social media services, so it will be difficult for Meta to determine which users are under 16. However, digital age checks are notoriously difficult to perform in a safe and effective manner. Identity verification services are a hot target for hacking, and even minor security vulnerabilities can have serious implications, as personal information and government documents can be compromised.
Identity verification platforms have already proven problematic for user security. Last year, 404 Media discovered that AU10TIX, the company that verifies user identities on TikTok, Uber, and X, left administrator credentials exposed online for more than a year, potentially exposing sensitive user information.
