02/10/2025
Unfortunately it wasn’t going to take long for such research to be released.
Circumvention is one of the greatest risks. Where there’s a will there’s a way. Not just in response to online regulation; think underage smoking, drinking, driving etc.
Sadly no technical measures will replace effective active parental controls and oversight when it comes to children’s online safety.
Regulation is great, but when relying on technical controls those need to be able to be implemented effectively. Vendors will always say that their products work.
We should know, we’ve been independently testing online safety technology vendors claims since 2004!
From December 10, social media platforms will be forced to block under 16s in Australia from holding accounts, but experts warn age checks can be easily bypassed in several ways, including a $22 "old man" mask.