TV interview with Minister Butler, Sunrise – 5 December 2012

NATALIE BARR, HOST: The social media ban for under-16s hasn't officially begun, yet teens are already evading it. Two 13-year-olds in Adelaide changed their birth year on Instagram to 1956 and managed to pass Meta's facial recognition software.
 
[Excerpt]
 
CHILD ONE: I just changed my date of birth and I did a facial scan and it said I'm that age.
 
CHILD TWO: You’ve just got to click on your settings and you can change your birthday to whatever you want it to be.
 
[End of excerpt]
 
BARR: Snapchat's facial scan tech has also seemingly failed, incorrectly identifying a 14-year-old boy as 25. For more, we're joined by Health Minister Mark Butler and Liberal Senator Jane Hume. Good morning to both of you. Mark, is this off to a good start if kids are just sort of like putting different birth dates in?
 
MARK BUTLER, MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGEING, MINISTER FOR DISABILITY AND THE NDIS: The technology exists to verify age according to facial analysis, that's all of the advice that we've been given. These platforms now have five days to get their act together if some of it's not working because the platforms face some very hefty fines of up to $50 million if they breach these new world leading laws. I can't say enough about these laws, not just as a parent but as the Health Minister. I'm absolutely horrified by what these platforms, what these technologies are doing to young people, to their mental health, to their learning development, to basic social development as well. I'm incredibly proud of these laws. We know that they're going to be difficult to land because big tech is very opposed to them. But five days they've got to get their act together. If people are evading the technology, then Snapchat, Instagram, whoever that is, they better look into these cases pretty deeply and get their act together.
 
BARR: Okay, so Mark, this time next week, if you've got 14-year-olds still able to put, I was born in 1956 and get, you know, Billy Bob, my friend who's, you know, 17, to scan their face, then you'll be coming down hard on the companies.
 
BUTLER: Absolutely. They've had a lot of notice, our eSafety Commissioner and others are working with them to make sure that they are ready. They've got enormous resources to make sure this technology works. Our advice has always been that the technology is accurate. It is reliable. Five days, really, they've got to look into these cases and see why if there are some teenagers being able to show that their age is as old as the report suggests, they better get their act together because we've been clear.
 
BARR: And are you taking them to court?
 
BUTLER: The obligation is on them. The obligation is on them. I'm going to leave that to the relevant Minister, but the platforms have been on notice. On 10 December, they are liable for very, very big fines if they don't act to protect our kids.
 
BARR: Yeah. Jane, are you on side with this?
 
SENATOR JANE HUME: Yeah, look, this is legislation that the Coalition supported and it's really important. Inevitably, there's going to be some teething problems. And look, perhaps it's a career-limiting move, but, when I was underage, I had a fake ID and used it to get into pubs and clubs so that I could drink my Midori and lemonade and listen to Pseudo Echo. And it was the pubs and clubs' fault for letting me in, but it was also on me for trying it. Kids are going to find a way to get around these rules. They're going to. But that doesn't mean that it isn't important legislation, because it puts grit in the gears. It's just one more barrier that helps parents to help their children, so that we can get them off social media where, as Mark said so much harm is happening. Now once you turn 16, yeah sure, then things change but for those kids that are younger this is just one more obstacle to that harm that potential harm that can be caused and we want to make sure that those social media companies, those big tech companies, get on board, because it's really important legislation.
 
BARR: Yeah, it all felt a bit innocent back then compared to what's happening now, though, didn't it? Mark, were you the same? Were you sort of, you know, rocking up with your dodgy ID at the local pub?
 
BUTLER: I've never let a Midori and lemonade pass my lips. I can give your viewers that assurance. I'm utterly shocked that Jane has, frankly.
 
BARR: Okay, he is the Minister. That might be a bit different if he wasn't. Okay, might get a few of your old friends to see if that's the case. Thank you, that’s all we’ve got time for today, see you next week.