Behind the Curtain: eSafety and the Rise of the Surveillance State

The Government is selling the U16 Social Media Ban as a child protection measure. But the way it works tells another story. This law is less about shielding kids from harm, and more about rolling out an infrastructure that will affect every Australian who goes online.

Age Assurance: What It Really Means

The legislation can’t function without what the eSafety Commissioner calls “robust age assurance.” That means platforms must confirm the age of every single user to block those under 16.

There are only a few ways to do this:

  • Government ID uploads (driver’s licence, Medicare card, passport)

  • Biometric scans such as facial analysis or voice recognition

  • Data-matching with third-party verification companies

In practice, Australians of all ages would need to verify their identity just to log in. This removes anonymous access from the internet.

Even the Government’s Age Assurance Technology Trial (September 2025) admitted there was no “frictionless” or “safe” option. It raised concerns about:

  • Accuracy — facial recognition misclassified young people and those from diverse backgrounds.

  • Privacy — ID uploads create new risks of data leaks and hacks.

  • Accessibility — families without digital literacy or access to ID documents could be excluded.

Despite these findings, the ban is moving ahead.

What Happens If You Don’t Comply?

If you refuse to provide ID or biometric data, you’ll be locked out. This doesn’t just apply to kids under 16 — it applies to everyone.

That’s why critics call it censorship by design. Access to online platforms is no longer about your choice; it’s conditional on passing government-mandated checks.

The Digital ID Connection

This law doesn’t exist in isolation. The Digital ID Bill 2024, introduced by the Albanese Government, already seeks to expand verification across banking, utilities and government services.

The U16 Ban is the perfect on-ramp. Once Australians get used to handing over ID for social media, it becomes easier to extend the same system to every other online service.

Privacy experts have warned that merging Digital ID with everyday online activity would:

  • Create centralised databases vulnerable to breaches

  • Increase government and corporate tracking of individuals

  • Limit access for people who refuse to participate

What begins as “prove your age for TikTok” quickly expands to “prove your ID for everything.”

How Other Countries Handle It

Australia’s approach is unusually heavy-handed.

  • France attempted similar measures but faced resistance from its privacy regulator, CNIL, which warned that ID checks posed “disproportionate risks.”

  • Germany debated comparable restrictions but pulled back after civil liberties groups raised alarms about surveillance.

  • Canada and the US are trialling education programs, parental control tools, and platform accountability measures — none rely on blanket ID checks for access.

Australia is pressing forward with one of the strictest models in the democratic world.

Why It Matters

The danger isn’t just for kids. It’s for all of us. This law normalises handing over personal data just to participate in daily online life. It concentrates authority in the office of the eSafety Commissioner, who already holds extraordinary powers with limited oversight. And it shifts the balance of trust from families and communities to bureaucrats and corporations.

The bottom line: The U16 Ban isn’t just about children. It’s about building the foundations of a surveillance state — one login at a time.

👉 Read our submission to Parliament and add your voice to stop this law before it sets a dangerous precedent.