Australian blockchain company ShareRing has joined a government-led trial to test age verification technology for social media platforms, contributing to a national effort to protect children online. The $6.5 million Age Assurance and Verification Technology Trial, backed by the federal government, is developing scalable and privacy-preserving systems to enforce upcoming legislation that will restrict social media access for users under 16.
Melbourne-based ShareRing is deploying its blockchain-based digital identity platform, which uses biometric video selfies to create reusable, self-sovereign digital IDs. This decentralized approach enables secure, trustless verification without storing sensitive data in centralized systems, mitigating the risk of mass data breaches while meeting international compliance standards such as ISO 17065.
“Our participation confirms that our self-sovereign identity technology meets and exceeds the stringent security requirements for age verification,” said Tim Bos, ShareRing’s Founder and Chief Technology Officer. “With scalability, trustless verification, and privacy at its core, ShareRing’s solution ensures personal data remains secure and fully under individual control.”
The pilot program, which begins with school students in Darwin, Northern Territory, is being conducted under the oversight of an independent Ethics Committee. Special protocols are in place to protect data privacy and ensure informed consent, particularly when working with First Nations communities. The initiative explicitly addresses concerns around algorithmic bias and cultural sensitivity in biometric systems.
In addition to ShareRing, other age verification providers participating in the trial include Incode Technologies and Yoti, both of which are testing their own biometric and AI-driven identity solutions. The UK-based Age Check Certification Scheme (ACCS) is managing the trial to ensure impartiality, while Australian digital consultancy KJR is conducting technical evaluations of each provider’s performance and adherence to ISO compliance frameworks.
The trial is part of a broader legislative and technological initiative. Australia’s social media age restriction law, scheduled to take effect in December 2025, will require platforms to verify users are at least 16 years old. The federal government is also advancing a national digital identity framework that integrates age verification with digital access controls across education, finance, and health services.
Decentralized identity platforms like ShareRing’s have gained traction in Australia following a series of cybersecurity breaches that exposed vulnerabilities in centralized databases. In response, the Law Council of Australia and other advocacy groups have urged the government to explore blockchain-based systems as a more resilient and privacy-conscious alternative to conventional data storage methods. ShareRing’s platform uses cryptographic techniques to verify identity without revealing the user’s personal information, aligning with best practices in secure identity verification.
While the technology offers promise, challenges remain. Experts caution that public skepticism about biometric data use and blockchain systems may hinder adoption. In addition, questions about scalability, interoperability, and user accessibility must be addressed before nationwide deployment. Early results from the trial are expected by mid-2025, with full findings anticipated later in the year to inform implementation decisions ahead of the December deadline.
If successful, Australia’s model could serve as a blueprint for other countries grappling with youth safety and online verification. The initiative also complements global movements toward regulated digital identity systems, such as Europe’s eIDAS 2.0 framework, and may accelerate international standardization around age assurance technologies.
Source: Security Brief
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April 14, 2025 – by Ali Nassar-Smith
