Australian teenagers have been given two weeks to download or delete their data, as social media giant Meta warns it will close accounts early.
The company has also acknowledged that it expects problems with the age verification technology it uses, which could lead to the accounts of people who are actually 16 being shut down.
The world’s first social media restrictions on users under 16 will come into effect on December 10.
However, as of Thursday, Meta has confirmed that users aged 13 to 15 will receive in-app messages or text messages advising them that their accounts will be deleted as early as December 4.
The warnings appear for children on Facebook, Instagram and Threads.
Teens can choose to download their data or conversations, but the content will be “as they left it” when access to the platforms is restored when they turn 16.
“While we are working hard to remove all users we believe are under the age of 16 by December 10, compliance with the law will be an ongoing and multi-layered process,” Meta vice president and global head of security Antigone Davis said in a statement.
YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok,
The platforms have been forced to take reasonable steps to prevent young users from maintaining accounts or face fines of up to $50 million.
Communications Minister Anika Wells told reporters last week that the new laws will have significant mental health outcomes, acknowledging they were not a “cure” but “a treatment plan.”
“It will give children back their childhood and give parents peace of mind,” she said.
What should you do if you ‘accidentally lose access’?
Meta’s regional policy director Mia Garlick admits that some teenagers “accidentally lose access” during the service.
She said users who received the notice in error can appeal the process.
“You can appeal and prove your age by uploading a video selfie or providing government-issued ID,” she said.
Despite the warning, an August government report found that ‘age assurance technology’ could be implemented ‘efficiently and effectively’.
It did acknowledge that age verification technology has a margin of error, but it was small.
Experts have raised concerns that age verification technology is a “pretty significant shift towards surveillance.”
Hassan Asghar, a computer science lecturer at Macquarie University, said corporate monitoring puts users at risk of identity theft.
“Age inference works by looking at what we do online over long periods of time to guess our age – essentially encouraging tech companies to constantly monitor our digital behavior.”
– With additional reporting by the Australian Associated Press.
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