Exclusive: Media.com helps verify users amidst Australia’s U16 social media ban

With the Australian Government's new law barring under‑16s from social media entering force this week, Media.com - a social platform requiring identity checks at sign‑up - emerges as a timely alternative for parents, regulators and users concerned about online safety.

James Mawhinney, founder and CEO of Media.com, began his career in digital marketing at the age of just 17.

After travelling to the United States to learn digital marketing, he returned to Perth and co‑founded one of Australia's first such firms alongside his father.

He later studied law and investment finance and established a personal investment group. A regulatory investigation in 2020 triggered litigation that "thankfully is getting close to concluding."

From that experience arose his conviction that the digital world lacked a trusted, transparent space for real people - a conviction that became the foundation for Media.com.

"I experienced firsthand the harm that can be caused by anonymous profiles and fake profiles," said James Mawhinney, Founder & CEO, Media.com.

Verified Identity

Mawhinney draws a comparison between financial systems and social media: just as banks require identity verification to protect money, social networks should require it to protect information.

"When we publish content online, we're publishing a form of currency," he said. "Others are consuming it or they're using it … being transmitted to others." Without verification, "that content's coming from unverified and therefore untraceable sources."

On Media.com, every user - whether individual or business - undergoes identity verification using the same Know Your Customer (KYC) and Know Your Business (KYB) procedures used by banks. The checks typically take 90 seconds to two minutes and cover over 200 countries.

With verified identities, users are more likely to "think twice about what you're going to say," leading to "a far more … not just safer environment, but more enjoyable environment."

Online Harms

Mawhinney argues that many of the problems plaguing current social networks stem from anonymity - trolling, cyberbullying, misinformation, disinformation and untraceable interactions.

He recounted his own experience of having a fake account created in his name, posting harmful content, and escaping accountability because no one knew who the perpetrator really was. On Media.com, where identity is confirmed, there is "someone to hold accountable."

As a result, the platform could reduce the incidence of harmful behaviour, promote responsible posting, and create a community grounded in real identities.

Growth Path

Development of Media.com began in early 2023. The company has built a waiting list of users from more than 130 countries - including unexpected registrations from remote regions such as Antarctica.

The desktop version of the network is already operational. In the coming weeks, Media.com will submit its mobile application to app stores. Mawhinney expects a strong uptake early next year: the platform will support a familiar social‑media experience, including a feed, long‑form and short‑form content, and - by first quarter next year - a video‑shorts feature.

The key difference, he says, is identity verification.

Users will know "you can trust at least the identity of the people that you're engaging with." In an era increasingly concerned with AI‑generated content, this clarity will make it easier to distinguish between human and machine outputs.

Regulatory Signals

Mawhinney believes Media.com's verification-first model could guide future regulation.

He points to legislation such as the European Union's Online Safety Act, which introduced optional profile verification. Over time, he expects that social networks may be required to know who their users are, much like banks must know their account holders.

In that envisioned future, platforms built with verification from the start - like Media.com - would be better positioned to comply.

"As of 24 hours ago, Australia's implemented the under‑16 social media ban," said Mawhinney. "We believe that what we're building is a next‑generation network where having every profile verified since inception is going to solve a lot of the online harms associated with misinformation, disinformation, trolling."