The Albanese government, following its flip-flopping on census questions about gender and sexuality and with an election quickly approaching, is desperate for a win.

Although the Coalition signalled it would support legislation to introduce age verification for children on social media, experts have criticised the announcement for disregarding evidence in the field and announcing it before the results of previously commissioned trials have been released.

Dr Justine Humphry, senior lecturer in digital cultures at the University of Sydney, said there are still plenty of questions about how the scheme will work and what mechanism will be used.

“There is a lot of evidence and expert opinion. There’s been round tables, inquiries and a lot of research that has been done that may point to different solutions, but the announcements have been made without regard to the evidence,” she said.

“With the age verification trial, we need to understand the results of the trial before responding, quite reactively, to the legitimate concerns of many parents.”

She said that an over-reliance on age verification is shifting the government’s attention away from changes that would provide long-term benefits to all internet users.

“There is a general acceptance now that things need to change and the social media companies need to be creating safer environments for everybody, including young people,” Humphry said.

“Unfortunately, a ban on social media might actually prevent some of the constructive changes that we could see in that space because it shifts the focus onto age exclusively.”

How will it work?

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese floated facial recognition as a potential solution, but details remain scant.

Stan Karanasios, an associate professor from the University of Queensland Business School, said the proposed legislation can be seen as a Band-Aid for the problem, but not a cure.

“The fundamental question is if it is about preventing young people from having access to social media or if it is around social media platforms and the lack of regulation,” he said.

“By tackling social media platforms and regulation, we can address more of the issues.”

Others have criticised the government’s move for the potential to harm LGBTQI+ Australians.

Humphry said that although most young people and parents of young people surveyed during her research support some form of age restriction, that support declines significantly if it creates more work or creates privacy concerns.

“There is a low tolerance for any system that will demand more work for them, particularly in relation to providing consent for their children to access sites,” she said.

“We found there is general support for more effective age limits on mobile apps and social media platforms by young people and parents as well, but that’s not at the expense of young people’s data privacy.”

Do they work?

Humphry said that similar schemes overseas are either in their infancy or different to the models that have been tentatively proposed in Australia, making it difficult to gauge their success.

“We don’t even know what system is going to be introduced or what age the ban will apply to,” she said.

“We know that in countries where they have been introduced, like France and the United Kingdom, it is a drawn-out process that is very much still in development.”

A study commissioned by French President Emmanuel Macron recommended that children under 13 be banned from social media platforms. Photo: AP

Karanasios said the power that technology has on people’s lives should be addressed.

“We should have been having these conversations 10 years ago before every teenager was heavily dependent on these platforms,” he said.

“We’re in a situation where it’s hard to undo and police it.”