Australia have announced plans to mandate tech companies to prevent AI-driven tools, such as apps that create deepfake nudes or enable undetected online stalking, from being used to harm individuals, particularly children.
Communications Minister Anika Wells emphasized that such technologies, which fuel sextortion scams and abuse, have no place in society. The government will collaborate with industry to develop legislation targeting these tools, though no timeline was provided. This initiative builds on Australia’s existing online safety reforms, including a November 2024 law banning under-16s from social media, with hefty fines for non-compliant platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
The proliferation of AI has led to new abuses, such as teenagers creating sexualized deepfake images of classmates, with a Save the Children survey noting one in five Spanish youths affected. A recent government study confirmed that age verification for social media is feasible through various technologies, though no single solution suits all contexts. The social media age restriction law will take effect by the end of 2025.
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