Australia Implements Historic Ban on Minors Accessing Social Media

Australia has officially launched the first phase of a global ban that prohibits children under the age of 16 from accessing major social media platforms, just a week after the announcement. Technology companies are tasked with creating mechanisms to deactivate existing accounts of minor users and prevent new account registrations.

Effective December 10, the Australian government mandates that specified platforms must deactivate all accounts for users under 16 and prevent them from creating accounts until they reach this age. The Australian Cyber Security Commission will evaluate whether platforms have taken "reasonable steps" to comply; non-compliance could result in fines of up to $49.5 million.

The initial list of platforms affected by the ban includes Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, X, YouTube, Reddit, Twitch, and Kick. The Threads app is also included since it requires an Instagram account for access.

The government has indicated that this list is "dynamic and subject to change," meaning additional platforms may be added if children begin using them after the ban is enacted. The Cyber Security Commission has stated that if minors migrate to other services, such as Lemon8, those platforms may also be required to remove accounts belonging to minor users.

Exempt from the ban are platforms like Roblox, YouTube Kids, Google Classroom, and job-related sites such as LinkedIn. The Cyber Security Commission also noted that Pinterest will not be subject to the ban at this time. However, compliance may be required from other platforms in the future, as Cyber Security Commissioner Julie Inman Grant emphasized the importance of self-assessment by each platform.

Each platform is responsible for its own age verification methods, with the government stipulating that simply asking for identification cannot be the sole means of verification.

Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, has not disclosed its methods for identifying minor users, stating that revealing such details could help minors bypass the ban. Snapchat has indicated it will use account behavior and the registered date of birth for verification. TikTok plans to adopt a "multi-layered approach" to age verification and will provide more details in the near future.

For current minor users, some platforms will offer options before accounts are closed. On Facebook and Instagram, users aged 13 to 15 can download their content, freeze their accounts until they turn 16, or delete their accounts entirely. TikTok will allow users to disable or delete their accounts while archiving existing content. Snapchat will permit users to download their photos and messages, with account deactivation until the user can verify they are over 16, potentially affecting around 440,000 users in Australia aged 13 to 15.

The government has stated that individuals over 16 who are mistakenly categorized as underage will need to undergo an appeals process.

Platforms like Meta will utilize age verification through the facial recognition service Yoti, which requires users to take a short "selfie" video or provide government ID. Snapchat users can appeal by verifying a bank card, presenting government ID, or taking a "selfie" for age estimation. TikTok has stated it will offer a "simple appeals process," but has yet to disclose its specific methods. Other platforms, including YouTube and Kick, have not yet announced their plans for appeals.