Australian Social Media Ban Set to Allow Some Age-Check Errors

Australia’s looming social media ban for under-16s will give Facebook, TikTok and other platforms leeway to make mistakes when checking a user’s age, handing some control to the companies that the law is trying to rein in, and creating scope for children to avoid the rules.

According to regulatory guidance for platform operators published Tuesday, Australia’s eSafety Commissioner won’t implement a minimum accuracy level for any age-checking technologies adopted by social-media companies such as Meta Platforms Inc. when the law takes effect on Dec 10.