A Trojan Horse for Your Private Data:
The Online Safety Amendment Bill 2024
Shout out to @Mr_Fireside’s post; Explaining the issues with the Under-16 Social Media Ban
The Illusion of Safety Masks a Dire Threat
The Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024 claims to protect children by enforcing "age assurance" for social media users. But behind this seemingly noble goal lies a significant threat to data privacy and security for millions of Australians.
Age assurance, as proposed, likely means handing over highly sensitive personal data—such as government-issued IDs, passports, or even biometric information (e.g., facial scans or fingerprints)—to multiple social media companies. These companies, many of which are based overseas, have a checkered history of safeguarding user data.
Shockingly, the government is attempting to push this legislation through without waiting for the results of its own Age Assurance technology trials. This rushed approach exposes Australians to unprecedented risks—turning a protective measure into a data privacy disaster.
Amplifying the Risks You Can't Ignore
Imagine this scenario: Over 20 million Australians will be forced to upload their most sensitive data to social media companies. This doesn’t mean submitting information to a single secure entity. Instead, each platform—often managed by foreign corporations—will require separate submissions of personal data.
Here’s why this is catastrophic:
Data Breaches Are Inevitable: Social media giants like Facebook, TikTok, and LinkedIn have a long history of breaches and scandals. The list of incidents is both alarming and extensive:
• Facebook–Cambridge Analytica Data Scandal (2018)
• Facebook Data Leak (2019)
• LinkedIn Data Scraping (2021)
• TikTok Data Breach Rumor (2022)
• Twitter/X FBI Files (2022/2023)
• Twitter/X Bitcoin Scam Hack (2022)
• Snapchat Data Breach (2014)
• Instagram Contact Leak (2019)
Every new breach adds to the mountain of proof: these companies cannot be trusted to protect user data.
Global Exposure and Legal Loopholes: By forcing Australians to upload data to companies headquartered in different jurisdictions—such as China and the U.S.—this bill creates a legal nightmare. Each country has its own privacy laws, many of which lack the robust protections Australians expect.
Exploitation by Foreign Powers: TikTok, for instance, is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company with suspected ties to the Chinese government. Given current geopolitical tensions, including Russia’s alliance with China and threats of cyber-attacks on Western allies, this bill is a gift to adversaries.
Data Never Disappears: Once your data is out there, it’s out there forever. Imagine your biometric information, passport details, and home address sitting on thousands of servers worldwide, vulnerable to hackers, rogue employees, and surveillance agencies.
If this bill passes, Australians will unwittingly participate in one of the largest data-collection experiments in history—handing over everything a hacker, rogue employee, or foreign government needs to exploit our privacy.
A Smarter Approach to Online Safety
We all want to protect children online. But rushed, invasive, and poorly thought-out legislation is not the answer.
Here’s what the government should do instead:
Complete and Review Trials Before Passing Laws: The Age Assurance technology trial must be thoroughly evaluated before implementing any legislation. Without clear evidence that the system is secure and effective, passing the bill is reckless.
Centralize and Secure Data Handling: If age verification is necessary, it should be managed by a single, independent, Australian-based entity operating under strict privacy protections—not by multiple social media platforms with dubious track records.
Focus on Education and Parental Tools: Empower parents with resources and tools to monitor and guide their children’s online activities without forcing every Australian to compromise their privacy.
Enforce Accountability for Social Media Companies: Instead of burdening users, require social media platforms to implement safer systems and stricter moderation to protect young users without invasive data collection.
Closing Thought: Let’s Not Trade Privacy for Illusory Safety
The Online Safety Amendment Bill 2024 is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. While it promises to protect children, it risks exposing all Australians to devastating breaches of privacy and security.
By rushing through untested legislation, the government threatens to hand over a treasure trove of personal data to foreign corporations, adversarial nations, and cybercriminals.
We deserve better. Let’s demand that our leaders prioritize data privacy and national security alongside online safety. Protecting our children should never come at the expense of sacrificing the rights and safety of every Australian.