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Expert warns teens risk lockout as states stall on free ID before social media ban

MyMahi

Australia, 19 November 2025 - State governments have so far declined to adopt a free, school-verified digital ID that could help families comply with Australia’s upcoming under-16 social media ban - a move that could leave parents facing a $412 bill to keep their teens online when the law takes effect on 10 December.

As media scrutiny intensifies around how the ban will be enforced, education-tech company MyMahi warns that the lack of an accessible, government-backed age-verification system could leave thousands of young Australians without a safe, affordable way to prove they’re over 16; with costly passports or a driver’s license the only option to verify their age. 

“My concern isn’t about the ban itself - it’s about how we’re rolling it out,” says MyMahi CEO Jeff King. “In just weeks, social media platforms will need to verify every teen’s age, but no clear system exists. That means families will bear the cost and responsibility, and many teens - particularly those without formal ID - will be cut off entirely”.

A poll MyMahi ran in New Zealand of high school students found nearly a third didn’t hold either a passport or a driver’s license, and up to 80 per cent of this group were from lower socio-economic areas.King says this oversight risks digital exclusion for indigenous, disabled, low-income, and rural youth - echoing concerns raised by privacy and equity advocates in recent coverage of the new laws.

“Facial recognition failed in government trials, and we know many teens don’t have passports or driver’s licences. If there’s no inclusive option, they’ll either lose access or resort to unsafe workarounds - like buying an ID online or falling for scams because they’re desperate to prove their age,” King says. “That’s how you push kids into riskier online behaviour, not away from it.

MyMahi’s school-verified digital ID was the only tool to achieve 100% accuracy across all age groups tested in the government’s Age Assurance Trials earlier this year; it was also recommended as the only tested school-based solution in a recent Senate hearing on age verification. The system verifies a student’s age directly through their school, confirming, for example, “I am 16+, without exposing personal data such as names, birth dates, or photos. 

Nearly half of New Zealand teens surveyed said they prefer verifying their age if platforms only received a simple pass/fail, rather than their personal data; a finding King says could reasonably be replicated in Australia. Despite offering the technology to all state governments at no cost, no state has yet adopted it.

“This is a moment for leadership,” King says. “We have a free, proven, privacy-safe solution ready to go - but every week of inaction increases confusion for parents and risk for teens. If states don’t move soon, families will be the ones left scrambling.”

The call echoes growing public and media concerns about whether the ban, designed to protect teens, might instead create new inequalities by excluding those least equipped to comply.

MyMahi is ST4S-accredited, meeting the privacy and security standards of the Safer Technologies for Schools (ST4S) program, and works closely with New Zealand’s Department of Internal Affairs on secure student identification.

About us:

About MyMahi

Founded in New Zealand and now supporting students across Australasia, MyMahi provides digital tools that empower young people to manage their wellbeing, goals, and future pathways. The platform is trusted by over 100,000 users and is accredited for use in educational settings.

Contact details:

Jacinda Thorn, Public Relations | +61430620616 | [email protected]

Morgan Spencer, Public Relations | +61411747095| [email protected]