Age Verification: What Australian Families Need to Know

What Is Age Verification and Why Does It Matter?

Age verification is the process of confirming a person's age before granting access to age-restricted services. Under Australia's new law, social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and others must prevent users under 16 from accessing their services.

Why this matters for privacy:

• Verification requires sharing personal information (biometric data, government IDs, or financial records)
• Your data may be stored by third-party verification companies
• There are no uniform privacy standards across verification providers
• Once your data is collected, it may be difficult to delete
• Data breaches at verification companies could expose sensitive family information

The eSafety Commissioner is overseeing implementation, but each platform may choose different verification methods, creating a fragmented landscape for families to navigate.

The Four Age Verification Methods Explained

Social media platforms are deploying four primary age verification methods in Australia. Here's what each involves and what it means for your privacy.

1. ConnectID (Bank-Linked Verification)

How It Works:

ConnectID is a digital identity verification service operated by Australian banks. It allows you to prove your age without sharing your government ID directly with social media platforms.

The process:

1. You initiate age verification on a social media platform
2. You're redirected to your bank's ConnectID portal
3. You log in using your existing online banking credentials
4. Your bank confirms your age to the platform (yes/no response only)
5. No other personal information is shared with the platform

Privacy Implications:

Pros:

• Your bank doesn't share your name, address, or financial details with the platform
• Only a "yes, 16+" or "no, under 16" signal is transmitted
• Leverages existing relationship with your bank (you're already verified there)
• No need to upload government IDs to multiple platforms

Cons:

• Your bank now knows which social media platforms you use
• Creates a link between your financial identity and social media activity
• Not all banks participate yet (check with your bank)
• Requires you to have a bank account (excludes some demographics)
• Long-term data retention policies are unclear

Who Provides It:

• Commonwealth Bank, NAB, Westpac, and other major Australian banks
• Administered under the Australian Banking Association framework

Our Assessment:

ConnectID is generally considered the most privacy-preserving method currently available. It minimizes data exposure to social media platforms while leveraging an identity you've already established.

2. Facial Recognition / Video Selfie

How It Works:

Facial age estimation uses artificial intelligence to analyze a selfie or short video clip and estimate your age based on facial features.

The process:

1. You upload a selfie or record a 3-5 second video
2. AI analyzes facial characteristics (skin texture, bone structure, etc.)
3. The system estimates your age
4. If you appear 16+, access is granted
5. If the system is uncertain, you may be asked for alternative verification

Privacy Implications:

Pros:

• No government ID required
• Quick and convenient (takes seconds)
• Relatively non-invasive compared to ID upload

Cons:

• Biometric data is collected (your face is highly sensitive personal information)
• Accuracy concerns (AI can be wrong, especially for people with certain appearances)
• Racial and gender biases in facial recognition algorithms are well-documented
• Your facial data may be stored indefinitely by the verification provider
• Unclear what happens to your facial biometric data over time
• Risk of data breaches exposing your facial biometric template
• May require re-verification periodically (repeated data collection)

Who Provides It:

• Yoti: UK-based age verification company
• k-ID: Australian age verification provider
• Other providers: Platforms may use proprietary facial recognition systems

Our Assessment:

Facial recognition is convenient but raises significant privacy concerns. Biometric data (your face) is permanent — you can't change your face like you can change a password. Once exposed in a data breach, it's compromised forever.

We recommend avoiding facial verification if alternatives like ConnectID are available.

3. Government ID Upload

How It Works:

You photograph or scan your driver's license, passport, or other government-issued ID and upload it to the platform or a third-party verifier.

The process:

1. You take a photo of your driver's license or passport
2. You upload it to the platform or verification service
3. The verifier extracts your date of birth
4. The verifier confirms your age to the platform
5. Some services claim to delete the ID image after verification (verify this claim)

Privacy Implications:

Pros:

• Definitive proof of age (high accuracy)
• One-time verification (less likely to require re-verification than facial scans)
• Widely accepted

Cons:

• Extremely invasive: Your government ID contains your full name, address, date of birth, ID number, and photo
• You're trusting a third-party company (not just the social media platform) with your ID
• IDs can be used for identity theft if breached
• No guarantee of deletion after verification (depends on provider policies)
• Creates a permanent record linking your real identity to your social media account
• Required for backup if other methods fail

Who Provides It:

• Platforms may handle this internally or use third-party services
• Some providers: Jumio, Onfido, ID.me

Our Assessment:

Government ID upload should be your absolute last resort. Only use this method if ConnectID and other options are unavailable. If you must upload an ID:

1. Check the verifier's privacy policy and data retention schedule
2. Confirm they delete images after verification (get it in writing if possible)
3. Use a platform that uses Australian-based verification (data stays in Australia)
4. Consider using an older ID that doesn't have your current address (if acceptable)

4. Behavioral Analysis (Passive Verification)

How It Works:

Some platforms use AI to monitor user behavior and flag accounts that appear to be operated by children. This happens continuously in the background without explicit user action.

Signals analyzed may include:

• Typing patterns and language use
• Content preferences and viewing habits
• Time spent on platform and activity patterns
• Social graph (who you interact with)
• Device information and usage patterns

Privacy Implications:

Pros:

• No explicit ID submission required
• Happens passively (users may not even notice)

Cons:

• Extremely invasive surveillance of your online behavior
• No transparency into what data is collected or how it's analyzed
• Can be inaccurate (adults may be flagged as children, and vice versa)
• Ongoing monitoring (not a one-time verification)
• No ability to opt out or review what data is collected about you
• Creates detailed behavioral profiles that could be used for other purposes
• May disproportionately affect neurodivergent users or non-native English speakers

Who Provides It:

• Platforms may develop proprietary behavioral analysis systems
• Third-party providers: Mostly undisclosed due to algorithmic secrecy

Our Assessment:

Behavioral analysis is the most privacy-invasive method because it involves ongoing surveillance. We strongly recommend opting for explicit verification methods (like ConnectID) over platforms that rely heavily on behavioral analysis.

If a platform uses behavioral analysis as its primary method, consider whether you truly need that platform.

Age Verification Methods: Privacy Comparison

Here's a side-by-side comparison of the four verification methods:

How to Protect Your Privacy During Age Verification

Age verification is now required by law, but you can still take steps to protect your family's privacy:

1. Choose the Least Invasive Method Available

Order of preference:

1. ConnectID (bank verification) — if your bank supports it
2. Government ID upload (one-time, with verified deletion policy)
3. Facial recognition (if no other options exist)
4. Never accept behavioral analysis as a primary method

2. Use a VPN to Protect Your Online Activity

While a VPN won't change age verification requirements, it protects your family's broader online privacy by:

• Encrypting your internet traffic
• Hiding your IP address from websites and trackers
• Preventing your ISP from monitoring your online activity
• Protecting against data collection by advertisers

For Australian families, we recommend:

3. Review Privacy Policies Before Verifying

Before completing age verification, check:

4. Use Strong, Unique Passwords

If you're verifying accounts for your children, ensure each account has a strong, unique password stored in a password manager. This prevents one compromised account from exposing others.

Recommended password managers:

• 1Password (Australian team available)
• Dashlane (good for families)
• NordPass (from NordVPN team)

See our Tools Overview page for detailed comparisons.

5. Monitor Your Family's Digital Footprint

After age verification:

• Review account privacy settings on each platform
• Limit data sharing with third-party apps
• Regularly check which apps have access to your child's data
• Consider parental control software if your child still uses exempt platforms

Bottom-Line Recommendations for Parents

After researching and testing age verification methods, here's our guidance:

✅ Do This:

1. Use ConnectID if available — It's the best balance of privacy and convenience
2. Verify early — Don't wait until December 10; systems may be overloaded
3. Download your child's data BEFORE verifying — See our Data Download Guide
4. Read privacy policies — Know what you're agreeing to
5. Set up a VPN — Protect broader online privacy for your family
6. Have conversations with your teens — Explain why privacy matters

❌ Avoid This:

1. Don't upload IDs unless absolutely necessary — Exhaust other options first
2. Don't verify on public Wi-Fi — Use your home network or mobile data
3. Don't share verification credentials — Each family member should verify independently
4. Don't ignore data deletion rights — Request deletion of verification data after completion (if allowed)
5. Don't assume "free" verification is better — Privacy is valuable; understand the trade-offs

What Happens If You Don't Verify?

Starting December 10, 2025:

• Social media platforms will block access to accounts that cannot verify age 16+
• No parental consent override — Even with parental permission, under-16s cannot access age-restricted platforms
• Enforcement timeline — Platforms have a grace period for implementation, but expect increasing restrictions

Options for families:

• Verify using the least invasive method
• Switch to exempt messaging apps (WhatsApp, Signal, Discord)
• Focus on offline activities and non-social-media hobbies