The Role of Age Verification Systems in Protecting Minors from Harmful Online Content in Australia.

Tengyue Hu

doi:10.62051/ijsspa.v6n2.17

Authors

Tengyue Hu

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62051/ijsspa.v6n2.17

Keywords:

Age Verification, Online Safety, Minors, Privacy, Australia

Abstract

Currently, in Australia, there is no nationwide mandatory age verification system for all online content while discussions and proposal for stronger measures are ongoing. Teenagers often lack enough judgment while the content of the Internet is mixed. They are prone to addiction to online games and encounter risks such as online fraud or privacy disclosure. Age verification systems have the potential to significantly enhance online safety for minors, at the same time, their implementation must be carefully balanced against privacy concerns and potential limitations. This article discusses the role of age verification systems in protecting juvenile from harmful online content in Australia and outlines the benefits of such systems. It also addresses challenges, for example, balance accuracy with privacy concerns. By comparing with the UK, US, China and Japan, this paper emphasizes the need for a balance between safety and privacy and proposes solutions to improve age verification systems such as hierarchical validation systems, data minimization, decentralized authentication, privacy impact assessments, and international cooperation.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

[1] Information on: https://veridas.com/en/what-is-age-verification/

[2] Information on: https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/sites/default/files/submissions/alannah_madeline_foundation.pdf

[3] Information on: https://www.legislation.gov.au/C2021A00076/latest/text

[4] Information on: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/Bills_Search_Results/Result?bId=r7284

[5] Information on: https://www.esafety.gov.au/about-us/consultation-cooperation/age-verification#roadmap-background-report-and-response

[6] Information on: https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/department/media/publications/australian-government-response-roadmap-age-verification

[7] Information on: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/lifestyle/parenting/why-australian-parents-and-experts-are-pushing-to-raise-the-age-for-social-media-access-to-16/news-story/698ab4dec97cf60a88b79af60ef08176

[8] Information on: https://www.biometricupdate.com/202405/australia-seeks-testing-provider-for-outsourced-age-verification-trial

[9] Information on: https://ia.acs.org.au/article/2024/australia-s-long-road-to-age-verification-0.html

[10] Information on: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/tween-and-teen-health/in-depth/teens-and-social-media-use/art-20474437

[11] Information on: https://veridas.com/en/protecting-children-online-the-power-of-age-verification-and-regulatory-measures/

[12] Information on: https://www.zignsec.com/blog/age-verification-online

[13] Information on: https://www.criipto.com/blog/age-verification-system

[14] Information on: https://www.crikey.com.au/2021/11/09/online-age-verification-what-is-it/

[15] Sarah Scheffler: Age Verification Systems Will Be a Personal Identifiable Information Nightmare,Communications of the ACM[J/OL], Vol.67 (2024) No.7, p.31-33.

[16] Information on: https://www.newamerica.org/oti/reports/age-verification-the-complicated-effort-to-protect-youth-online/

[17] Information on: https://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202109/08/WS6137ff25a310efa1bd66e00e.html

[18] Information on: https://moldstud.com/articles/p-cross-platform-app-development-for-digital-identity-verification-services

[19] Information on: https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/privacy-security/childrens-privacy

[20] Information on: https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/europe-fit-digital-age/digital-services-act_en

[21] Information on: https://www.veriff.com/podcasts/age-verification-around-the-world

[22] Information on: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2022/418/made

[23] Information on: https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/childrens-information/childrens-code-guidance-and-resources/age-appropriate-design-a-code-of-practice-for-online-services/

[24] Information on: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/online-safety-act-explainer/online-safety-act-explainer

[25] Information on: https://www.experian.co.uk/blogs/latest-thinking/guide/what-is-age-verification-regulation/

[26] Information on: https://www.veriff.com/fraud/learn/age-verification-legalization-in-the-united-states-of-america

[27] Information on: https://securiti.ai/privacy-laws/us/california/california-age-appropriate-design-code-act/