politics

Starting December, all Australian social media users—not just those under 16—must verify their age, but a new trial reveals it may be far harder than promised. While some users breeze through selfie-based checks in 40 seconds, others face waits of up to an hour. Tools like Yoti struggle with alarming error rates—up to 73% for 15-year-olds—and disproportionately affect non-Caucasian and female users. Without reliable backup methods or appeals, users risk wrongful exclusion. Smaller platforms may simply withdraw rather than shoulder the heavy tech and compliance burden.