ShareRing, a Melbourne-based blockchain company, has joined the Australian Government’s Age Assurance Technology Trial, which is testing age verification tools ahead of new laws restricting under-16s from joining social media platforms. The company recently announced its involvement via X (formerly Twitter).
In November 2024, Australia became the first country in the world to pass legislation requiring social media platforms to take reasonable steps to prevent users under the age of 16 from opening accounts. The Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024 states that if personal information collected for age verification is used or disclosed for any other purpose without consent, it will be considered a breach of the Privacy Act 1988.
As part of the trial, ShareRing is deploying their blockchain-based digital identity platform. The system verifies a user’s identity through a biometric video selfie and then issues a reusable, self-sovereign digital ID stored securely in a mobile wallet. When signing up for a social media site, the user can scan a QR code to confirm they meet the age requirement without sharing any personal data with the platform, which promises to address risks of data breaches and identity theft while still meeting legal requirements.
This decentralised approach helps address growing public concerns about the privacy and security of identity information, especially in the wake of high-profile data breaches, by eliminating the need to store sensitive data in centralised systems that are vulnerable to attack, says ShareRing founder and CEO, Tim Bos.
By providing reusable digital IDs, ShareRing eliminates the need for repetitive verification while maintaining instant trustless verification and a privacy-first approach,… [w]e are proud to lead this crucial initiative to protect young Australians online and shape a safer digital future.
Testing of ShareRing’s digital identity solution began on 14 April 2025 with school students in Darwin. The trial demonstrates the promise of broader adoption of blockchain-based identity solutions with built in zero-knowledge proofs which could assist in aligning Australia’s ongoing efforts to strengthen digital security and online privacy.
