This month, tech giant Meta deployed an age verification system from technology company Yoti for Australian Facebook users trying to edit their age to gain access. Users are asked to prove their age by uploading a video selfie or submitting an ID, but tests have found the technology can be bypassed. Australian technology reporter Cam Wilson was able to buy a knife online last week despite pretending to be a nine-year-old girl.

“We know that the systems don’t work, and we know that total surveillance of every single one of our actions is not a desirable future,” Whittaker said.

‘It is easier to demonise encryption than it is to look at the really difficult issues.’

Meredith Whittaker

“It would basically be creating a system to monitor internet usage at a whole population scale, because you can’t know that somebody is over 16 without checking everyone at the gate, so to speak, before they sign in.

“I do hope that Australian regulators pick up the mantle and recognise that this is a serious issue. The tech platforms do need to be reined in. But extending those surveillance practices, extending practices of monitoring and repression of expression is not the way to do it, and is actually exacerbating the problem instead of solving it.”

Whittaker is enrolled as a PhD student at the University of Western Australia and is working to set up a research program there to create evidence-based solutions to tackle issues of child safety.

While encrypted messaging apps like Signal are regularly blamed for enabling criminal activity and the transmission of illegal material such as child pornography, Whittaker said those arguments create an “easy scapegoat” for avoiding dealing with the criminal activity itself.

End-to-end encryption is a method of secure communication that ensures only the communicating users can read messages. Law enforcement agencies argue it can hamper their ability to investigate and prevent crimes.

“Look, cars can be used to transport weapons, hands can be used to write plans for criminality, there are many, many tools in the world that can be used many ways. And these tools don’t cause criminal behaviour,” Whittaker said.

“It’s an easy scapegoat, and the scapegoat that many in law enforcement have wanted to target for a very long time. It is much easier to demonise encryption than it is to look at the really difficult issues, the fact that most abuse happens in the family, the fact that incest is one of the most common forms of child sexual abuse, the fact that we live in a world where we may want desperately to help children.”

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Whittaker has long advocated tackling cultural issues plaguing Silicon Valley, which she says are driving away underrepresented workers, including women.

“Generally things have actually not improved, they’ve gotten much worse,” she said, referring to issues including sexual harassment and gender equality.

“There’s a backlash against diversity initiatives, there’s a backlash against many of the ethical measures that we have fought for. There’s more or less a reactionary backlash to the move for diversity and a more inclusive environment.

“And the culture that we’re seeing grow in tech is [worshipping] very big, bro-ish personalities who often express pretty virulently bigoted opinions. And right now if you feel alienated every day at a place that you’re spending your one magical lifetime, you may not want to stay there.”

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