In a move described as a global first, Australia will begin enforcing a nationwide restriction on social media use for anyone under 16, with the policy officially kicking in this week. The rule applies to major platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, Threads, Reddit, YouTube, X (Twitter), Twitch, and Kick.
The goal of the government’s new measure is to shield young people from online dangers by compelling these platforms to remove accounts belonging to users under 16 and block new sign-ups until they reach the required age. The eSafety Commissioner will be responsible for monitoring enforcement, and companies that fail to take what is considered “reasonable action” could be fined as much as AUD 49.5 million.
From Wednesday, 10 December, platforms must ensure underage accounts are unavailable. All Australian users will also need to verify their age, though methods will differ from one service to another.
Snapchat plans to rely on self-reported birthdates and user behaviour, while TikTok says it will adopt a “layered system” involving human moderation and technological tools. Kick intends to use an approach similar to Snapchat, while Meta and YouTube have not yet released complete details, citing privacy reasons.
Teenagers affected by the change will be able to download their data, deactivate their accounts until they turn 16, or permanently erase them. Snapchat estimates around 440,000 users between ages 13 and 15 will be impacted. YouTube has assured that teens who wait until 16 to return will regain access without losing any of their saved content, while some platforms are still working out the finer points of their policies.
Older users wrongly classified as underage will have the option to appeal. Meta will offer verification through video selfie or a government-issued ID using Yoti, Snapchat will allow ID or bank card verification, and TikTok will support several identification methods including age estimation via facial recognition and government ID.
Some platforms have not yet confirmed what their appeal framework will look like.
However, not every online service falls under this new rule. Roblox, YouTube Kids, WhatsApp, Pinterest, Discord, GitHub, LEGO Play, Steam, Google Classroom, Messenger, and LinkedIn are among the platforms exempted, either due to their smaller user numbers in Australia or because they fall into a different category of online services.
