logo
Face age and ID checks? Using the internet in Australia is about to fundamentally change

Face age and ID checks? Using the internet in Australia is about to fundamentally change

The Guardian6 days ago
As the old adage goes, 'On the internet, nobody knows you're a dog'. But in Australia it might soon be the case that everything from search engines and social media sites, to app stores and AI chatbots will have to know your age.
The Albanese government trumpeted the passage of its legislation banning under 16s from social media – which will come into effect in December – but new industry codes developed by the tech sector and eSafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant under the Online Safety Act will probably have much larger ramifications for how Australians access the internet.
Measures to be deployed by online services could include looking at your account history, or using facial age assurance and bank card checks. Identity checks using IDs such as drivers licences to keep children under 16 off social media will also apply to logged-in accounts for search engines from December, under an industry code that came into force at the end of June.
The code will require search engines to have age assurance measures for all accounts, and where an account holder is determined to be aged under 18, the search engine would be required to switch on safe search features to filter out content such as pornography from search results.
Six more draft codes being considered by the eSafety commissioner would bring similar age assurance measures to a wide range of services Australians use every day, including app stores, AI chatbots and messaging apps.
Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email
Any service that hosts or facilitates access to content such as pornography, self-harm material, simulated gaming, or very violent material unsuitable for children will need to ensure children are not able to access that content.
In her National Press Club speech last month, Inman Grant flagged that the codes were needed to keep children safe at every level of the online world.
'It's critical to ensure the layered safety approach which also places responsibility and accountability at critical chokepoints in the tech stack, including the app stores and at the device level, the physical gateways to the internet where kids sign-up and first declare their ages,' she said.
The eSafety commissioner announced the intention of the codes during the development process and when they were submitted, but recent media reporting has drawn renewed attention to these aspects of the codes.
Some people will welcome the changes. News this week that Elon Musk's AI Grok now includes a pornographic chat while still being labelled suitable for ages 12+ on the Apple app store prompted child safety groups to call for Apple to review the app's rating and implement child protection measures in the app store.
Apple and Google are already developing age checks at the device level that can also be used by apps to check the age of their users.
Founder of tech analysis company PivotNine, Justin Warren, says the codes would 'implement sweeping changes to the regulation of communication between people in Australia'.
'It looks like a massive over-reaction after years of policy inaction to curtail the power of a handful of large foreign technology companies,' he says.
'That it hands even more power and control over Australians' online lives to those same foreign tech companies is darkly hilarious.'
One of the industry bodies that worked with the eSafety commissioner to develop the codes, Digi, rejected the notion they would reduce anonymity online, and said the codes targeted specific platforms hosting or providing access to specific kinds of content.
'The codes introduce targeted and proportionate safeguards concerning access to pornography and material rated as unsuitable for minors under 18, such as very violent materials or those advocating or [giving instructions for] suicide, eating disorders or self-harm,' Digi's director of digital policy Dr Jenny Duxbury says.
Sign up to Breaking News Australia
Get the most important news as it breaks
after newsletter promotion
'These codes introduce safeguards for specific use cases, not a blanket requirement for identity verification across the internet.'
Duxbury says companies may use inference measures – such as account history or device usage patterns – to estimate a user's age, which would mean most users may not have to go through an assurance process.
'Some services may choose to adopt inference methods because they can be effective and less intrusive.'
However, those that do may be caught by surprise when it comes into effect, says Electronic Frontiers Australia chair John Pane.
'While most Australians seem to be aware about the discussion about social media, the average punter is blissfully unaware about what's happening with search engines, and particularly if they go to seek access to adult content or other content that is captured by one of the safety codes, and then having to authenticate that they're over the age of 18 in order to access that content, the people will not be happy, rightly so.'
Companies that don't comply with the codes will face a fine similar to that of the social media ban – up to $49.5m for a breach. Other measures such as eSafety requesting sites be delisted from search results are also an option for non-compliance.
Pane says it would be better if the federal government made changes to the privacy act and introduced AI regulation that would require businesses to do risk assessment and ban certain AI activities deemed an unacceptable risk.
He says a duty of care for the platforms for all users accessing digital services should be legislated.
'We believe this approach, through the legislature, is far more preferable than using regulatory fiat through a regulatory agency,' he said.
Warren is sceptical the age assurance technology will work, highlighting that the search engine code was brought in before the outcome of the age assurance technology trial, due to government this month.
'Eventually, the theory will come into contact with practise.'
After recent media reporting about the codes, the eSafety commissioner's office this week defended including age assurance requirements for searches.
'Search engines are one of the main gateways available to children for much of the harmful material they may encounter, so the code for this sector is an opportunity to provide very important safeguards,' the office said.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

The sneaky way Anthony Albanese will turn Australia into a high-taxing European nation with new super tax
The sneaky way Anthony Albanese will turn Australia into a high-taxing European nation with new super tax

Daily Mail​

time2 hours ago

  • Daily Mail​

The sneaky way Anthony Albanese will turn Australia into a high-taxing European nation with new super tax

Anthony Albanese risks turning Australia into a high-taxing European nation with his plan for a radical new tax on superannuation savings, an investment group warns. The federal government wants to impose a new 15 per cent tax on unrealised gains on super balances above $3million, where capital growth would be taxed before assets are sold. Wilson Asset Management chairman Geoff Wilson said this departure from taxing capital gains after assets are sold would see Australia share a similarity with European nations, which are renowned for their high taxes and targeting the rich. 'Australia is proving to be no different from Norway, Spain and Sweden, where taxing unrealised gains led to capital exodus and therefore lower than expected tax revenue,' he said. In 2023, the Labor government announced that from July 1, 2025, 0.5 per cent, or 80,000, of super balances with more than $3million would be hit with a new 15 per cent tax on unrealised gains. This would be in addition to the 15 per cent tax on earnings that already exists for all super during the accumulation or working phase. The debut of a new tax on unrealised gains also marks the biggest change to the capital gains tax since it was introduced in Australia in 1985. Previously, European nations have been the main enthusiasts for taxing the notional or paper value of assets, based on gains during a financial year. Norway applies a 38 per cent unrealised gains tax on the wealth of those who leave. Sweden does a similar thing, but with a 30 per cent exit tax on unrealised gains. Spain also has an exit tax, based on unrealised gains, if someone with a large investment portfolio leaves the country to become a tax resident elsewhere. Germany during the 1970s and 1980s taxed unrealised gains on wealth, but the policy was notoriously difficult to administer. France still has a wealth tax that applies on assets worth more than €1.3million (AU$2.1million) of real estate assets, but it stops short of taxing unrealised gains. Other European nations, renowned for having higher income taxes to fund more services, do not touch retirement savings in the way Labor is proposing to do. US Democrat presidential candidate Kamala Harris last year campaigned to tax unrealised gains on wealth - but only for the ultra rich with assets worth US$100million (AU$152million) or more. Australia would be the first to apply an unrealised gains tax to superannuation, in a bid to raise $2.3billion a year in Budget revenue. Left-leaning crossbench senators David Pocock and Jacqui Lambie last year declined to back Labor's Better Targeted Superannuation Concessions bill, because they are opposed to taxing unrealised gains. The Greens back taxing unrealised gains but want the threshold reduced to $2million, but indexed to inflation. They hold the balance of power in the Senate, and Labor is still negotiating amendments with the minor party. The government has previously flagged giving Australians a year's notice from the time legislation is passed, with Mr Wilson noting panic selling was already occurring in self-managed super funds to avoid the potential new tax. 'Despite requiring Senate approval, the proposed tax on unrealised gains has already prompted a rush to liquidate assets ahead of the 30 June 2026 implementation date,' he said. Wilson Asset Management has proposed an alternative super tax strategy to Labor's plan to tax unrealised gains, in a submission to the government's Economic Reform Roundtable, where it argued it would raise $2.433billion in revenue. 'The outcome of the proposal would allow the government to increase tax revenue from high balance accounts without breaching the realisation principle of the tax act,' Mr Wilson said. 'Our proposal is in the national interest and a Budget-positive alternative to the government's proposed policy to tax unrealised gains in superannuation.' He proposes to keep the existing structure of taxing realised capital gains, but adding a new 15 per cent tax to balances of $3million to $6million. A 17.5 per cent tax would apply for balances of $6million to $10million, rising to 20 per cent for balances of $10million to $20million and 25 per cent for balances above $20million.

Hackers prove age verification systems on pornography sites can be bypassed in seconds
Hackers prove age verification systems on pornography sites can be bypassed in seconds

Sky News

time3 hours ago

  • Sky News

Hackers prove age verification systems on pornography sites can be bypassed in seconds

Ethical hackers have shown Sky News how new age verification systems can be bypassed on pornographic websites in a matter of seconds. On Friday, toughened rules came into force that mean companies hosting adult content online must block under-18s using "highly effective age verification". That could include AI tools that use pictures to estimate someone's age, bank or ID checks, or more technical solutions using browser cookies. But hours later, two ethical hackers demonstrated just how simple it is to get around the measures designed to protect young people on the internet. Using widely available technology, Chris Kubecka and Paula Popovici quickly accessed numerous pornography sites without ever verifying their ages. Their devices were running standard software, and the tricks they used were simple. This, Ms Kubecka said, showed the systems will not be effective at stopping under-18s from accessing explicit content online. The simplicity of their method was confirmed by multiple viewers, who contacted Sky News to say they had also managed to bypass the systems. One viewer said it had taken him "less than 30 seconds". 3:53 Although Sky News has verified the methods used by Ms Kubecka and Ms Popovici, we won't give details or name any software used. Some of the explicit websites they checked had not turned on any age verification, despite declaring in June that they would. In response to our findings, Ofcom said these checks "will help stop young children from stumbling across porn". The regulator added: "While the new rules have only been in place for a matter of hours, we will be actively assessing compliance to make sure platforms have age checks in place and that they are highly effective. "Companies that fall short can expect to face enforcement action." 1:36 A spokesperson for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology told Sky News: "We expect these laws to be robustly implemented by tech companies. If they fail to do so, the regulator is ready to take severe enforcement action, including tough fines." There is also a risk that age verification could push users towards more dangerous corners of the internet in search of pornography. By 10am on Friday, data suggested an extra 66,000 internet users in the UK had begun using the dark web. Ms Kubecka fears this number may only increase. "That is one of the concerns that I have because I don't want illegal or extreme content being normalised in our teens," she said. 1:22 Google Trends data shows searches for online tools to help people bypass age verification have surged, too. Ofcom told Sky News it had been clear that sites "must not encourage or direct users to get around age checks". "People should be aware that children and adults who use [certain software] to bypass age checks will not benefit from the wider protections offered by our online safety rules." Despite those warnings, in the days running up to the rules being enforced, advertising data shows companies were targeting UK users and promoting tools that could bypass the verification. "Platforms have clear legal obligations and must actively prevent children from circumventing safety measures, including blocking content that promotes ... workarounds targeting young users."

New internet rules come into force - here's what is changing
New internet rules come into force - here's what is changing

Sky News

time4 hours ago

  • Sky News

New internet rules come into force - here's what is changing

New rules for the internet have come into force - and may well change how you browse. Ofcom's Children's Codes, a set of regulations designed to protect young people online, mean sites hosting adult content like pornography will need to have "highly effective" age verification in place. Social media sites will need to make sure their algorithms aren't pushing harmful content to young people and if their terms and conditions say those kinds of posts aren't allowed, the sites will have to make sure their own rules are properly enforced. So what's going to change? The biggest change you'll notice straight away is around age verification. Many adult sites currently have simple boxes for users to tick and say they're over 18 - that's no longer good enough, according to Ofcom. Instead, they'll have to properly verify their users' ages before allowing them to see adult content. Users visiting adult websites should be presented with a screen that offers them a few different ways to verify their age. That could be by checking credit card details, checking ID or by using AI facial age estimation. This is different to AI facial recognition; whereas facial recognition "recognises" a face by comparing it to an ID or to a database, facial age estimation doesn't attempt to identify the individual. Instead, it judges faces based on the positions of their features and other ageing traits to estimate how old a user is. "Facial age estimation is effectively taking a selfie in front of your mobile phone or your laptop, and we capture that image [...] on behalf of the business," Robin Tombs, the chief executive of age estimation company Yoti, told Sky News. "[The AI] checks 'liveness' to ensure it isn't a photo of somebody older and then estimates the age from that selfie, and then returns an over-18 or under-18 message to the business. "It then deletes the image." Every company with adult content on its site is obliged to put these rules into place and Ofcom is willing to "be tough" with non-compliers, according to Jessica Smith, the regulator's online safety principal. It can impose fines of up to £18m or 10% of revenue and, in very serious cases, stop sites operating in the UK. 1:11 Will it actually make a difference? Plenty of people hope so - the government, Ofcom, children's groups and campaigners are all banking on these new rules to change children's experience on the internet. "We've had unrestricted access to this content for a generation of children which has had a lot of impacts," Ms Smith told Sky News. "It is widely accepted that you have to check your age before you can drink alcohol, and so this is a kind of social change as well as a technical one. "It's about what we, as a society, say is normal for our online experiences. And I think these protections will be important for children in all walks of life." This isn't necessarily going to stop determined young people from seeking out adult content, according to Ms Smith, but it should stop inappropriate posts from popping up unexpectedly on young people's feeds. "The most common way that children come across pornography, at least at first, is that they come across it accidentally," she told Sky News. "So they're not seeking out, they are just scrolling through a social media service and then they'll see something that they don't want to see. And that can be really shocking and disturbing for them. "But it also shows them what content is out there and introduces them to a new type of online content." Some websites and apps have already announced they'll implement the changes, including the UK's biggest pornography site PornHub, social media sites Discord and Reddit, and dating app Grindr.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store