Australia has implemented a new regulation that prohibits individuals under 16 from maintaining accounts on major social media platforms, resulting in millions of young users losing access to their profiles.
According to the regulation, platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, YouTube, Snapchat, Reddit, Kick, Twitch, and TikTok are required to delete accounts belonging to users identified as under 16 and prevent new registrations.
Platforms failing to comply may face financial penalties. Officials have indicated they do not anticipate flawless execution at this phase, noting initial reports of some users under 16 bypassing facial age verification.
All the platforms, with the exception of X, had confirmed their compliance prior to enforcement. Authorities stated they have engaged with X regarding compliance, but the platform has not specified its strategy to users.
Another platform, Bluesky, indicated it would also prohibit users who are under 16.
Young users spent the previous weeks undergoing age verification, changing phone numbers, and preparing for the deactivation of their accounts. An age-assurance firm based in Australia reported conducting hundreds of thousands of verifications before the ban took effect. This system was utilized by Snapchat.
Parents have expressed various responses. One parent mentioned that their 15-year-old daughter felt “very distressed” because her friends were “age verified as 18 by Snapchat,” while she was recognized as under 16. Another parent noted that the ban prompted him to teach his child methods to circumvent restrictions using VPNs to create accounts that would evade detection.
Some parents supported the ban, stating it provides a framework that would assist in keeping their child off the platforms.
Prime minister Anthony Albanese remarked before the rollout that “from the beginning, we’ve acknowledged this process won’t be 100 percent perfect,” and added that “the fact that teenagers occasionally find a way to have a drink doesn’t diminish the value of having a clear, national standard.”
Polling has indicated widespread support for raising the minimum age to 16, although some critics contend that the ban could alienate vulnerable teenagers or push them toward unregulated areas of the internet.
The regulation has garnered interest from other nations, with several governments examining the framework. Officials will collect data from platforms, including the total number of eliminated accounts, the challenges companies are encountering, and the measures taken to prevent bypassing the rules.
Regulators intend to evaluate whether platforms are making adequate efforts to adhere to the law. An independent review will assess the short-term, medium-term, and long-term impacts, including how the ban affects online behavior, offline activities, and potential migration to alternative platforms.
