Almost a dozen companies and individuals will make up the project team responsible for the age authentication trial at the heart of the government's social media ban.

The government has allocated $6.5M for the trial which will run into the middle of next year

These include the project lead AVID Certification Services Ltd (ACCs) as well as:

• K.J Ross & Associates PTY LTD (KJR) - ACT & NSW, Australia
• Holding Redlich (N A Ackroyd and Others) - NSW, Australia
• Koliya Group - NSW, Australia
• Professor Toby Walsh - University of New South Wales, NSW, Australia
• Heartburst PTY Ltd ATF the Heartburst Trust - VIC, Australia
• Freelance Graphic Designers: Lisa Ellinger (AU), Aino Am (AU), Jo Carter (UK)
• Solicab Limited - Manchester, UK
• SafetyTech Limited - London, UK
• Illuminate Tech Ltd - London, UK

The purpose of the trial is to evaluate the effectiveness, reliability, and privacy implications of various age assurance technologies. The ban has achieved the unique quinella of being both broadly popular in the community - some surveys have support running at close to 90 per cent - but also controversial; the government allowed only a single day for public comment, then got swamped with over 15,000 responses.

It is looking to guillotine debate and push it through parliament before Christmas. It's not just social media, Privacy, along with new laws on electoral reform and migration have all been stuffed into the legislative sausage maker this morning. That has drawn criticism from the opposition which says it will oppose the tactics in the senate. That said, the social media ban is expected to pass later today.

According to Simon Birmingham, Opposition Leader in the Senate, "I've never seen a motion that seeks to ram 41 bills through the Senate in a single day. It is unprecedented. It is extraordinary, and it is shameful, and the government should just withdraw this motion."

Age assurance trial

The AATT will explore a range of age assurance solutions, including age verification through identity documents, artificial intelligence-based age estimation, and parental consent mechanisms. The goal is to assess these technologies' feasibility in real-world applications, ensuring they provide accurate results while safeguarding personal data.

The project is structured into six work packages, encompassing critical areas such as data ethics, evaluation design, stakeholder engagement, and practical testing. The project team boasts a diverse array of expertise from various organisations, ensuring a comprehensive approach to tackling the complexities of age assurance technologies.

The project plan, shared on Linkedin this morning by Project Director Tony Allen will also involve consultations with experts in data ethics and compliance, ensuring that the trial adheres to the highest standards of integrity and accountability.

There are briefings on the project scheduled for this afternoon in Canberra, including a press briefing.

- additional reporting by Andrew Birmingham.