The Australian government has put through an ‘age verification’ reform to protect our youths (under 16s) from undesirables online.  

This will cover all social media platforms and search engines.  However, the exact implementation and enforcement of these age verification requirements will depend on the specific regulations and how search engines and websites choose to comply with them.

These laws will ultimately mean we will ALL need to provide a form of identity (potentially a driver’s license or passport) to enable us to login, or use their services.

If you are like me, this may raise some red flags around your personal identity security.   The extent of how these new laws will be implemented, has not yet been fully outlined, however I have provided a summary of what I could find out about possible implications of this new Australian law.

Services which will need to request identification are:

1. Adult Content Websites: These will be the most directly affected, as age verification is primarily intended to prevent minors from accessing explicit material.
2. Social Media Platforms: Some social media sites may be subject to age verification to ensure compliance with regulations regarding the minimum age for users.
3. Gambling and Betting Sites: These websites often have strict age restrictions and may need to implement additional verification measures to comply with Australian laws.
4. Online Gaming Sites: Particularly those that offer in-game purchases or have interactive elements that might be deemed inappropriate for minors.
5. Dating Websites: To prevent minors from accessing dating services, these platforms may need to implement age verification processes.
6. E-commerce Sites Selling Age-Restricted Products: Websites selling alcohol, tobacco, or other age-restricted products may need to verify the age of their users.
7. News and Information Websites: While less common, some news and information websites that contain mature content may also be affected.
8. Streaming Services: Platforms that offer movies, TV shows, or other media with mature ratings may need to verify the age of their users.

At the time of writing, we are unsure if these verification requirements will extend to messaging apps such as Signal, Threema and other standalone encrypted messaging platforms but it possible that they will be considered as social messaging and will need to comply.

The age verification requirements for search engines in Australia have several potential ramifications:

1. Privacy Concerns: Age verification often requires users to provide personal information, which raises privacy issues. There are concerns about how this data will be collected, stored, and ultimately protected.
2. Access to Information: Critics argue that age verification could create barriers to accessing information, particularly for younger individuals who may not have the necessary identification documents.
3. Impact on Businesses: Search engine providers may need to invest significantly in implementing age verification systems, which could be costly and technically challenging.
4. Legal and Regulatory Compliance: Companies will need to ensure they comply with both Australian laws and any international regulations that may apply, adding a layer of complexity to their operations.
5. User Experience: The implementation of age verification could potentially disrupt the user experience, making it more cumbersome to access search engines.
6. Potential for Misuse: There are concerns that age verification systems could be exploited for other purposes, such as data harvesting or identity theft.
7. International Precedent: Australia has followed the UK in implementing similar age verification requirements. This has had a flow on affect in the UK and additional verification requirements have been already installed. Australia could do the same

Verification methods may include:

• Photo ID checks
• Face scanning with AI age estimation tools
• Credit card checks
• Digital ID
• Vouching by the parent of a young person
• Using AI to guess a user’s age based on the data the company already has
• Relying on a third party that has already checked the user’s age

Google currently holds a 90% share of the Australian online search market and is the first to spring to mind when thinking of web browsing, however there are many other browsers and search engines to choose from, and it is believed they will be under the same scrutiny as Google.

Law makers have also hinted they will have technology in place to identify internet connections via a VPN, and possibly either block or still require verification processes. What this will actually look like once the law is rolled out is still unknown, however it would be fair to say this technology is possible. 

If a search engine or browser company (Google, Microsoft etc) is found to be not enforcing some form of verification, they face penalties of almost $50 Million per breach. With these implications, there is little doubt these rules will be followed.

So, how do we protect our privacy and avoid being asked for age verification whilst online? Depending on how the law is implemented, it may be quite difficult, however we always have the choice to not use any targeted online services if we don’t feel confident of their data security.

If you have been on the fence whether to delete some, or all, of your social media accounts, could this be the incentive you need?  If you have been considering improving your privacy and security online, then now (or soon!) is a great time to start.

There are many nuances to these new laws. Some to consider may be ..

• Are they protecting minors or will these laws simply be a toothless tiger? 
• Will these laws actually be a hinderance to the young target demographic or will it hit the older demographic harder?
• Is this the next step in general control of society at large and will this just normalise further erosion of our right to privacy

OR perhaps it may be the catalyst to create new, more privacy centric, ways of using technology?

Whichever way you look at it, friction creates change, and this is certainly going to create friction!  Perhaps it may also build on the new narrative around rejecting Big Tech calling the shots?

Change is slow and gradual. Back in the 70’s we drove without seat belts, kids rolling around the back of a station wagon, chain smoking in restaurants, and music from record players?  Look where we are now!  

Many changes are for the better, however the impact of this new law – for youth, and for all tech users – is currently an unknown, and we each have the opportunity to contribute to creating the change we want.

With these new laws coming into effect we, as individuals, can decide where we stand in regard to our acceptance of these ID checks. Some may be unavoidable for business purposes. Some such as connecting with Government departments or Financial institutions may be supportive to our security.  

Some may breach our personal level of privacy and data security. Personal privacy is a human right and it is not about having things to hide, rather its having the choice of what personal info you share and the choice of who you share it with.

Something to ponder?

If you feel it is time to make some changes to improve your privacy and data security Almost Unhackable has a sister website called Mullum Mac. We provide 1 on 1 training sessions or even simple conversation sessions around your security concerns

Please contact us if you would like more information or to book a time with us to help you on your Cybersafety journey. 

Email:   shop@mullummac.com

Web:     https://mullummac.com

Ph: 02 6684 6235

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