Meta's age checks are biased against Indigenous and Southeast Asian users
Australia is testing new age checks before banning under-16s from social media by December 2025—but the tech isn't treating everyone equally.
Indigenous and Southeast Asian users are often misidentified as older or as adults who are actually underage, raising real worries about fair access.
Face scans were up to 7% less accurate for Indigenous people
Face-scanning was up to 7% less accurate for Indigenous people and 5% lower for Southeast Asians compared to others.
Even document-based checks failed half the time among Indigenous testers, although this was based on a very small sample and is not statistically significant.
Teenagers got hit hardest, with false positives (wrongly flagged as old enough) ranging from 25% to a whopping 73%, thanks to how quickly teens' looks change.
Trial shows age assurance can work but highlights challenges
Because of these gaps, lots of teens may have to go through extra steps—beyond just a selfie scan—to get on social media.
Adults will mostly have it easier with simpler checks.
The trial proves age assurance can work but highlights big challenges in making it fair for everyone, especially if you don't fit the "average user" profile.