eSafety has published summaries of its community consultation as well as a self-assessment tool to help online services determine if they are likely to be an age-restricted social media platform and therefore obliged to take reasonable steps to prevent under-16s from holding accounts.
eSafety's publication of both resources follows the release this week of the final report from the Australian Government's Age Assurance Technology Trial, and goes hand-in-hand with eSafety's ongoing formal engagement with companies in the lead-up to minimum age obligations commencing on 10 December.
eSafety will use all three to inform its compliance and enforcement activities, including development of its regulatory guidance to be released shortly.
While a number of platforms have already been named as likely to be age-restricted, eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said the self-assessment tool would help companies determine if any of their services may be excluded under the Minister for Communications' recently tabled rules.
eSafety has also written to a comprehensive list of technology companies, including Google, Meta, Snap and TikTok, to clarify their position on whether they consider their platforms to be age restricted, and outline practical steps they can take now to be ready for the obligation coming into effect.
The Commissioner outlined her expectation that companies focus on the following key steps, including:
- Preparing to find and de-activate accounts held by Australian under 16s.
- Providing clear, age-appropriate communications to those affected, including how to download their information and where to seek support.
- Taking reasonable steps to prevent children from evading restrictions by altering their account settings before 10 December.
- Ensuring reporting and review systems for underage accounts are effective, accessible, transparent and timely.
- Scoping and implementing age assurance measures across the user journey.
The Commissioner also made it clear to platforms that self-declaration of age will not, on its own, be enough to constitute reasonable steps.
"We know 95% of Australian 10- to 15-year-olds currently hold at least one social media account. Companies must detect and de-activate these accounts from 10 December, and provide account holders with appropriate information and support before then," Ms Inman Grant said.
"Many of these companies already use and deploy a range of viable age assurance methods today and we expect that efficacy will require layered safety measures, sometimes known as a 'waterfall approach'," Ms Inman Grant said.
Over the past three months, eSafety has held consultations with more than 340 participants representing more than 160 organisations.
For example, in partnership with the Australian Youth Affairs Coalition, eSafety held roundtables with more than 50 children and young people, aged 13-23 years.
Young people told eSafety that delaying access might reduce the harms they experience online, whilst making it clear that they want to know when and how age assurance will happen on platforms.
eSafety has published summaries of those consultations which can be found here: Social media age restrictions consultation.
Ms Inman Grant said the consultations overall reaffirmed strong community support for measures to better protect children online, alongside important calls to ensure solutions are accurate, fair, privacy preserving and accessible.
"Australians have told us they want strong, practical protections that keep children safe without compromising privacy or fairness. We have listened, and this feedback is shaping the guidance we are putting in place for industry," Ms Inman Grant said.
"As the implementation date draws closer, there are now more critical pieces of the puzzle in place. This is the time for companies to start mobilising and planning for implementation, with further regulatory guidance to be available soon. Children, parents and carers are counting on services to deliver on their obligations and prepare their young users and the trusted adults in their lives for this monumental change," Ms Inman Grant said.
