Study finds Australia under-16 social media ban not enforced
Technology
Australia's big move to keep under-16s off social media (think Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube) has hit a snag.
A new study found that even though the law says platforms must block and verify users' ages, none of the 50 test accounts set up by researchers were actually asked for proof.
So, teens can still slip through pretty easily.
Platforms guess ages without ID verification
Most platforms are just guessing users' ages based on how they act online, not by asking for ID or real verification.
Only one platform (Kick) actually required proof of age.
Even with bigger fines and talk of lawsuits from the government, most companies haven't changed much.
Meta says it's following the rules, but experts warn that as long as people can fake their birthdates, these bans won't really work.