Subjects: Coalition’s commitment to age verification for social media; Meta; Albanese Government inaction on age verification trial
E&OE…
Kieran Gilbert: The eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant has put social media sites on notice, giving them 30 days to hand over data on how many children are using their platforms, according to News Corp Papers. The sites will have to share how they detect underage users and enforce their age restrictions. Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok are among the platforms being asked to reveal their data. Let’s go live to the Shadow Communications Minister, David Coleman. David, do you welcome this move by the eSafety Commissioner?
David Coleman: Yeah, I think this is positive, Kieran and let’s see what the tech platforms come back with. Basically what happens now is, in very limited circumstances they do age verification. In those circumstances they say it’s highly accurate. So Meta has said it’s about 96% accurate when they do it. But most of the time they don’t do it. And there’s no obligation on them frankly, to do anything. So what we need to do and what the Coalition has committed to doing, is taking this away from being something optional for the platforms to something that they have to do. Because what we’re seeing in terms of the mental health impact on kids is completely unacceptable. And we need to move to a new situation where there’s an obligation on these platforms to actually do this.
Kieran Gilbert: Now Meta is saying that they, correct me if I’m wrong, they’re saying they support age verification, but they don’t want to be the ones that do it. Is that right?
David Coleman: Yeah, that’s exactly right Kieran. So they say that it should be the app store. So the Google app store, the Apple app store. And to be frank, it’s a bit of misdirection on Meta’s part. Nothing wrong with the app stores being involved of course but the core issue here is that social media is damaging our kids. We would never, as a society, have voluntarily allowed to occur what has occurred. If we knew this was going to happen, we wouldn’t have allowed it. But it has happened. And social media companies are where the obligation must fall, because frankly, they have done a terrible job. They’ve shown a complete lack of regard for the mental health of children. It’s good that Meta seemingly now supports age verification, but an obligation must be put on them to actually do it.
Kieran Gilbert: On the trial of age verification, where are things at? It was announced a few months ago. What’s the latest on that? Is it happening?
David Coleman: Well no, it’s not. A very concerning report on Monday on this. So the PM announced this more than four months ago. And what was reported on Monday is not only has the trial not started, the Government hasn’t even started the process of hiring somebody to do the trial. So it would appear we are months away from this trial coming to fruition. And we also know that the trial is not going to require the social media companies to participate or to actually do anything. So it doesn’t make a lot of sense, to be frank, Kieran. This is an issue of totemic significance in our community. Every parent worries about this. Pretty much every family has had some sort of exposure to the bad things that are happening to kids on social media. The Government needs to show a sense of urgency on this. Peter Dutton has committed that we would legislate to put this age verification obligation on social media companies within 100 days of being elected, and we need to see a similar sense of urgency from the Government.
Kieran Gilbert: David Coleman, thanks. Let’s stay in touch. We certainly need to see some action on this front. We appreciate your time as always.
Kieran Gilbert: Thanks, Kieran.