This is how Meta’s age verification tools did when identifying a 13-year-old

As the Australian under-16s social media ban looms, people are beginning to test various social media platforms’ age verification tools to see if they can really identify young people trying to circumvent restrictions.

Australia is banning social media for people under 16. This includes a plethora of platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, X, TikTok, and other major platforms used by young people.

While teens have been battling against the ban, the restrictions are set to take effect this month.

However, is it easy to circumvent the ban by wearing a fake mustache or simulating an older look?

The Guardian set up a phone with dummy social media accounts and tested whether Meta’s age verification system could distinguish between an adult and a 13-year-old.

Journalists set up an Instagram account with the age set to 15. Instagram sent a notification that said the account would be deactivated until the user turned 16.

Meta then provided two options – for the user to download their data or change their date of birth.

With that comes the age verification system, which checks users' ages through a selfie video that prompts the user to show their face from all angles.

The Guardian asked someone with full facial hair to complete Meta’s age verification process, which correctly identified their age.

The restrictions on the dummy Instagram account were then lifted.

Journalists then asked a 13-year-old to complete the age verification process. Meta’s systems were unable to identify that the child was over 16 years old.

This then prompted the child to provide their government ID to show that they are of age, which obviously, they are not.

Age verification processes are becoming increasingly commonplace, as more countries implement social media bans for young people.

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For example, the UK has implemented age verification processes following the implementation of the Online Safety Act, which promised to stop children from seeing and accessing harmful content, like pornography, online.

Many organizations and users have revolted against the ban, saying that it doesn’t actually make things safer for kids – it just makes things more difficult for adults trying to use these platforms.

However, people in the UK are circumventing the ban by downloading VPNs, which allow users to appear as if they’re in a country that doesn’t have these restrictions.

It’s likely that a similar situation will occur in Australia once bans on kids' social media accounts are fully enforced.

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