Reliability of key age-checking technology called into question

ABC NEWS (Australia)

There are fresh doubts about the viability of the government's social media ban for kids under the age of 16 due to come into effect in December. Children as young as 15 are being repeatedly misidentified as much older during government trials of age-checking software.

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00:00The race is on for Australia to find the right tech to make its world first teen social media

00:08ban work in less than six months time. More than a thousand school students from around

00:13the country have been testing out facial scanning, with some interesting results.

00:17One minute I'm getting 15, the next I'm getting 19.

00:20Oh, it gave me 29, that same one.

00:22Really?

00:23I've been told my whole life I look like about four years younger than what I actually am.

00:27I'm getting, yeah, 23, upwards of 23.

00:30So far, the face scanning technology can only guess these kids' ages within an 18-month

00:34range in 85% of cases.

00:37It's only in December, then it's got a long way to go, I think.

00:41And hopefully it works.

00:42Andrew Hammond ran the trial for the federal government.

00:44It's definitely a problem. So far it's not perfect and it's not getting every child.

00:50But does that mean that it's no good at all?

00:52Experts are less optimistic.

00:53I don't think the ban is viable.

00:55Experts are definitely headed for a rude shock in terms of what this legislation will actually

01:00deliver to them.

01:02Age verification companies are confident the ban can still succeed, despite the accuracy

01:06challenges, saying facial scanning tech should be used alongside other methods, as a filter

01:12to catch people who need further verification.

01:14When you purchase alcohol, you look younger than 25, you'll be asked for ID every time you

01:19purchase.

01:20But with the finish line approaching, the pressure to get the ban right is immense.

01:25I'm confident that by the time we get closer to December and beyond, those with bigger brains

01:31than me will have figured out more accurate ways to verify students' age.

01:35The spokesperson for Communications Minister Annika Wells told the ABC the government would

01:40be guided by advice from the eSafety Commissioner on how best to implement the ban.

01:45It's expected to announce its plan in the coming months.

01:48Captioning provided by Red Bee Media

01:49Copyright Australian Broadcasting Corporation

01:50You

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