TikTok enforces Social Media Age Ban and deletes videos made by under 16s

Kids across Australia are waking up to the Albanese Government’s Social Media Minimum Age legislation in full effect with Instagram, Snapchat and Tiktok enforcing age restrictions on those under 16.

While we know Snapchat’s face scanning technology matches the accuracy expected by the Government’s own trials (that is to say, it’s rubbish), we can also confirm the same applies to Instagram with my daughter beating that system without any assistance from me.

This morning though we finally get a look at how TikTok plans to approach the ban, with a slightly different format and options for teens as well as a very strict approach to how the legislation applies retrospectively to content on their platform.

Kids under 16 will be prompted with messaging this morning outlining just what has changed and this will allow them to download their data on TikTok, and lets them know they’ll be welcomed back when they turn 16.

But, as with any “Age Estimation” there will be some over 16’s caught up in the ban, and – plenty of under 16’s keen to cheat the system. These kids will opt to “Submit an Appeal”.

TikTok offers three options for confirming an over 16’s date of birth.

• Facial Age Estimation – a process it claims will take 5 seconds, and uses a selfie to estimate your age.
• Selfie with ID – a process they say takes 2 minutes, and requires you to take a photo of your government-issued ID and then take a selfie
• Photo with parent or guardian – this is a 24 hour process, and requires your parent or guardian to confirm your date of birth with you, via a QR code process.

Most will opt for Age Estimation via a Selfie, and likely, many big brothers or older kids at school will be enlisted to jump through this hoop.

To prove how easy it is to subvert, I put my Daughter’s age down as just 16, and then took a selfie – of me. Clearly not 16.

It worked, fine.

It should be noted here, there are no penalties for parents or kids in this legislation, the onus is on the Platforms to ensure kids under 16 don’t have accounts, and they must take “reasonable steps” to do this – clearly, all of the above steps do meet that obligation.

Interestingly, TikTok has gone one step further, and will delete content added to their platform by kids who confirm their age and had previously uploaded content.

Given TikTok – in this case – made an estimation about the age of the user and tagged that against the account, it is – in essence – adhering to the legislation by removing previously uploaded content. There’ll be some micro and mini influencers up in arms about this one no doubt.