Snap said on Monday it will give Australians the chance to check their age with software owned by the country’s banks. The internet platform is following a teenage social media ban which takes effect next month. Australia approved last year a world first social media ban for children aged under 16. It is one of the toughest rules aimed at Big Tech.
Company to Reach Out to Users This Week
US-based Snap operates the Snapchat service. The company said it will start reaching out this week to users, giving them the option to prove they are 16 or above by clicking on software tool ConnectID, which links to their bank accounts. Snap said it would also give Australian users a chance to confirm their age using software owned by k-ID, a Singapore-based company providing age checking, which guesses a person’s age based on a selfie or uploading of government-issued identification.
But the bank account option represents the first involvement of a person’s financial footprint in the rollout of the landmark social media ban. It was previously reported by Reuters that the option was being tested. Snapchat claims about 440,000 Australian users aged 13 to 15. This makes it the most affected platform by the restriction.
Snap Opposes but Will Comply with the Legislation
In a post on its website, Snap said the Australian government had dismissed its claim to be a messaging platform, rather than social media. But while we strongly disagree with that assessment, we will comply as we do with all local laws in countries in which we operate. ConnectID is owned and used by most major Australian banks. The company said it would send the tech platform a yes or no signal about whether the person was over 16. This would be based on their account details. People would not have to upload sensitive information.
The goal here is to protect young people online without creating new privacy risks, said ConnectID managing director Andrew Black in a statement. Social media platforms had argued against the Australian ban. The ban threatens them with a fine of up to $49.5 million Australian dollars for not following it. That equals about $31.95 million US dollars. But as the December 10 deadline gets closer, most have said they will follow the rules.
Meta Also Starting to Close Underage Accounts
Last week, Meta said it will start turning off underage accounts before the deadline. Meta owns Instagram, Facebook and Threads. All of these are covered by the ban. The bank-linked age-checking tool is a new way to prove how old someone is. Before this, social media companies mostly asked users to type in their birthdate. Many young people lied about their age to get accounts. The new system makes it much harder to lie.
Banks already know how old their customers are. They check this when people open accounts. By linking to bank records, Snap can get accurate age information. The system works by sending a signal back to Snap. It does not give it access to bank account details or how much money someone has. It only says yes or no about whether the person is over 16.
Privacy Groups Worried About Data Sharing
Several privacy groups have expressed concern over linking social media to bank accounts, citing new risks. What if it gets hacked? What if companies start sharing more information? ConnectID said it built the system with safety in mind. No sensitive data moves between the bank and Snap. Only a simple yes or no answer gets sent.
Different nations are thinking about prohibitions alike to safeguard the children from the negative impacts of social media. Such research has found that social media can, in fact, severely affect the mental health of youngsters making them more vulnerable to anxiety and depression. Besides, it will also make the children targets of bullying and immoral content.
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