Snapchat Opposes Age Increase on Social Media in Australia
- Australia push to raise social media age to 16 opposed by Snapchat.
- Snapchat believes law changes should be enforced by companies like Apple or Google.
- Debate on the appropriate age for social media access intensifies.
Snapchat has voiced its opposition to proposals aimed at increasing the minimum age for teenagers to access social media from 13 to 16. The company argues that if such legislation is enacted, enforcement should fall to technology giants like Apple and Google rather than individual platforms. This response comes as the federal government evaluates age assurance technologies amid growing concerns about the safety of young users online. The platform has faced criticism for being a venue for bullying and criminal activities, particularly sextortion, where perpetrators target users for explicit images and threaten to leak them unless paid. Paul Raffile, a security intelligence expert, highlighted that a significant number of sextortion victims he has encountered were contacted via Snapchat or Instagram, raising alarms about the platform's role in these incidents. In addressing the issue of sextortion, Snapchat is implementing measures to identify suspicious account behavior and prevent friend requests from high-risk locations. While the company does not monitor private messages, it aims to enhance user safety by alerting them when they are connected to accounts that have been reported or blocked by others. Ajit Mohan, Snapchat's president for the Asia Pacific region, emphasized that age verification should be managed at the device level, suggesting that operating system developers are better positioned to handle such regulations. He advocates for a collaborative industry approach to tackle the challenges posed by underage social media use.