Google and Meta think the Australian social media bill should be delayed

Google and Meta think the Australian government should wait for a trial on the proposed age-verification systems in their social media bill before making it a law. The controversial bill, championed by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, proposed a strict ban on social media for kids under 16. 

To do this, the government has proposed an age-verification system that may include biometrics or verifying government-issued IDs. Many citizens have expressed dissatisfaction with the system, calling it a way for the government to control access and unwillingly share identification with social media companies.   

According to Reuters, the bill was floated in parliament last week and asked for the submission of opinions from the general public for only one day. Independent lawmakers in the country accused the government of rushing the bill through the parliament. 

The bill also puts the onus on social media platforms to implement an age-verification process by the end of this year or face heavy fines. Google and Meta, in their submissions to the bill, have urged the government to wait for a trial of the age-verification systems before they are put in place. 

"In the absence of such results, neither industry nor Australians will understand the nature or scale of age assurance required by the bill, nor the impact of such measures on Australians," Meta wrote in its submission. The company also felt that in its present form, "the bill is inconsistent and ineffective."