Alphabet-owned Google on Monday said enforcing a proposed Australian law to ban social media use for those under 16 would be “extremely difficult,” warning that the move is unlikely to make children any safer online.

Governments and tech firms around the world are closely watching Australia, which in December will become the first country to block the use of social media by people younger than 16.

Social media platforms will not be required to conduct age verification procedures; instead, they will be asked to use artificial intelligence and behavioural data to reliably infer age.

‘Unintended Consequences’

In a parliamentary hearing on online safety rules on Monday, YouTube’s senior manager of government affairs in Australia, Rachel Lord, said the government’s programme was well-inte

See Full Page