With various regions considering new laws to further restrict teen access to social media, one of the lingering challenges is how the platforms actually stop youngsters from accessing their apps.
Because the current systems won’t do it. For example, research conducted by Common Sense Media back in 2022 found that the daily average screen time for kids aged between 8 to 12 continues to increase year-over-year, with a significant portion of that time now being spent in social media apps, while TikTok has reported that around a third of its U.S. users are under 14, though many are not registered at that age.
Despite the platforms limiting access to those over 13 at a minimum, it’s clear that many youngsters are bypassing the current systems. Which makes enforcement of any further age limits largely untenable in any legal sense.
That’s a key problem in Australia’s push to ban teens under 16 from social apps, which will include penalties for the platforms if they fail to enforce such. Because there’s currently no universal system in place that would enable the platforms to adhere to such restrictions, beyond what they already have in place.
Sure, they can continue to go it alone, but we know that won’t work. And with that being the case, what’s the next best system to enforce app access limits, and ensure a level playing field for all apps in this respect?
Meta has argued that the app stores are better placed to enact such restrictions, because they’re the link between users and apps. They also have all the information on each device user, and as such, they’re seemingly in a much better position to implement broader checks and balances, as opposed to leaving it up to each app.
Apple has made some moves in this direction, by recently updating its thresholds for teen app access. But it remains hesitant to take on the role of arbitrator for this element, as that would then open up both Apple and Google themselves to any legal penalties resulting from underage access.
Meta has also trialed third party age-checking, using video analysis from Yoti to estimates a person’s age.
Meta’s rolled this out in selected regions, across both Facebook and Instagram, but it remains, effectively, in test mode as it continues to assess the option.
Though it could be looking to expand it soon. This week, Meta has updated its Help Center listing on ID verification to include this note:
“Facebook contracts with Yoti, a third-party age verification service, to ensure an age-appropriate experience for our users. Yoti offers various methods for verifying age on Facebook and is verified by the Age Check Certification Scheme. Yoti is used across several industries around the world, including social media, gaming and age restricted e-commerce.”
The Age Check Certification Scheme (ACCS) provides additional assurance of age checking processes, with the U.K. government among many organizations that have incorporated ACCS certification into their safety parameters. The ACCS is also running trials of age assurance systems for Australia’s proposed teen social media laws.
The addition of this note in Meta’s documentation could suggest that it is now looking to expand its reliance on Yoti’s video ID tools to confirm user ages, while Meta also recently announced that it’s expanding its use of Face ID to offer more protection for high profile users.
Face ID is a sensitive area, with various violations of data privacy stemming from facial recognition tools. And that would go double for young users, but maybe, if Meta’s trial of Yoti’s video ID system is producing good results, that could offer a way forward to implement a more robust, more effective age-checking process.
And with the Australian government still planning to implement its updated age restrictions this year, through assurance and advice from ACCS, it would make sense for Meta to incorporate this same model into its own systems, aligning with the preferred process of Australian authorities.
So maybe, soon, we’ll all have to provide face ID to access social apps. Which many will be less-than-happy about, but it does seem like this may be the best method for facilitating age verification, at a platform level at least.
An app store level, there are more options to consider. But I doubt that Apple’s going to take on that responsibility without a significant fight.
