Australia is the first country to enforce a sweeping ban on social media access for children under 16, shutting down nearly five million accounts in the first weeks. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok must implement strict age verification, including facial recognition or government ID uploads, or face fines up to A$50 million. Similar policies are being pushed in the EU and the U.K., justified under “child protection” but criticized as a gateway to mass surveillance. Privacy advocates warn that facial estimation and ID checks are prone to errors and could lead to data breaches in a country already struggling with…

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