Australia’s Online Regulator Calls on Tech Giants to Reveal Child User Data

Social media apps are displayed on an iPad in Miami, Fla., on Feb. 26, 2024. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Australia’s online regulator has asked social media companies to disclose the number of children using their platforms, and how they are enforcing age limits.

Eight companies have 30 days to respond to eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, who will publish the findings.

The request has gone out to Meta platforms Facebook and Instagram, the Google-owned YouTube, the Chinese-backed TikTok, Snap, Reddit, Discord, and Twitch.

X, owned by Elon Musk, was not on the list of platforms contacted by Inman Grant.

She said introducing some form of age limit for social media could be on the cards.

“We know that when it comes to keeping children safe online, we need a multi-pronged approach,” she said in a release.

“Imposing age limits is on the table but we also need better information to understand what will be effective, what the unintended consequences could be and we must absolutely support children in building their digital resilience and critical reasoning skills.”

Inman Grant said a really important conversation was taking place about the potential “damaging effects” social media might be having on children.

“And our research shows that almost two-thirds of 14 to 17 year-olds have viewed potentially harmful content in the past year including drug use, self-harm, and violent images, but we also know that teens get many benefits from social media.”

The commissioner explained obtaining solid data on the number of kids on platforms and the range of their ages was a key aspect of this conversation.

Commissioner Keen to Learn How Age Limits Work

The eSafety commissioner acknowledged most platforms already had age limits in place, commonly at 13. However, the commissioner wants to know how under-aged users detecting and removing under-aged users, along with whether this age enforcement is working.

“eSafety research also shows that almost a quarter of 8 to 10 year olds said they used social media weekly or more often, while close to half of 11-to-13 year olds said they used social media at the same rate,” she said.

The eSafety commissioner pointed out research (pdf) from UK sister agency Ofcom which revealed half of children aged three to 12 use at least one social media app.

“So, we know kids are finding ways around current measures to determine age and we want to better assess how far these companies need to go to implement robust and effective age assurance mechanisms,” she said.

Major Parties Back Social Media Age Limits

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has previously pledged to introduce age verification for social media platforms.

“I just think given the exposure that we see young kids get now online, it’s a huge and confronting world out there. We see an increase in the number of self-harms, young girls who are suffering from eating disorders, image issues, etc. etc. A lot of that constant stream has a negative impact, and I think this is a sensible measure,” he said in June.

Labor Prime Minister Anthony Albanese backed the plan in theory, saying that a ban could be effective. He noted the Labor government had already announced a $6.5 million dollar age verification trial in the May budget.

“We’ve essentially doubled the funding for the eSafety commissioner and given her the power to take stuff down and to take action,” Albanese said in August.

“Secondly is we’ve approved and funded the trial of age verification technology to make sure that whatever it is that we do works. And we call out consistently, social media comes with a social responsibility.”

Meanwhile, South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas also announced plans to impose a ban on all children under the age of 14 from accessing social media.

He appointed former Chief Justice of the High Court Robert French to examine the legal, regulatory, and technological pathways for the ban.

“Like most parents, I am concerned about the impact social media is having on children in our community,” Malinauskas said.