Social media ban moves closer in Australia after tech trial

Australia’s world-first social media ban for under-16s moved closer to implementation after a key trial found that checking a user’s age is technologically possible and can be integrated into existing services.

The conclusions are a blow to Facebook-owner Meta Platforms Inc., TikTok and Snap Inc., which opposed the controversial legislation. Some platform operators had questioned whether a user’s age could be reliably established using current technology.

The results of the government-backed trial clear the way for the law to come into force by…