By Kat Wong in Canberra

Tech giants have been told to begin preparations to kick under-16s off their platforms, but young Australians hold doubts about the impending social media ban.

From December, Australians younger than 16 will no longer be able to have an account on platforms including TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram under the federal government’s world-first social media measure.

With 95 per cent of 10 to 15-year-olds holding at least one social media account and the clock ticking down on the ban, Australia’s online safety watchdog has written to tech companies outlining expectations for the rollout.

Platforms will have to detect affected users and offer ways to seek support and download their information, before deactivating the accounts and taking “reasonable steps” to stop underage Australians from dodging restrictions.

Self-declaring age will not be enough, eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said.

“This is the time for companies to start mobilising,” she said.

“Children, parents and carers are counting on services to deliver on their obligations and prepare their young users and the trusted adults in their lives for this monumental change.”

However, the commission’s own consultations with young people found many did not understand the details of the ban and thought it would not work or come into effect.

They pointed to virtual private networks, older siblings and fake IDs as ways to get around the restrictions.

Many also understood a number of age verification systems were trained on white people, rather than people of colour, meaning they were more likely to be inaccurate for non-white Australians.

There were worries that marginalised people, particularly LGBTQI youth and those living in rural and regional areas, could face increased marginalisation under the ban as social media often helps those communities find their identities and other like-minded people.

Some young people felt they were being locked out or punished by the ban, fuelling calls for clearer communication.

“Ironically, the best way to communicate this ban to young people is through social media,” the consultation said.

Others raised concerns young Australians would move to using “sketchy” websites or platforms that weren’t considered in the social media ban.

Data security and retention also remained a top concern, with many consulted calling for young people to be given control of their data and easy ways to get their information back when they turn 16.

Tech giants could be fined up to $49.5 million for failing to prevent people younger than 16 from having an account on an age-restricted social media platform.

An independent trial of age assurance technologies that informs government decision-making found many were “fairly robust” but could not be considered infallible.

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