Australian under-16 teens will no longer be able to access the popular social media platforms, unless they turn 16. Global tech behemoths Meta, TikTok, and Snap (Snapchat) have announced they will comply with Australia’s landmark legislation banning social media access for users under the age of 16. The new law will take effect from December 10.
Australia’s parliament approved the new law, which now requires platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat to actively remove underage accounts. Non-compliant firms will face severe penalties, with fines potentially reaching up to AUD 49.5 million (approximately $32.5 million USD).
Meta, TikTok, Snap will follow rules but…
Despite agreeing to abide by the government mandate, all three companies have expressed significant concerns on the practical enforcement and potential consequences of the new “blunt” age restriction.
Meta’s policy director, Mia Garlick, acknowledged the company is grappling with “numerous challenges,” including the complex engineering and age assurance hurdles, which will be necessary to identify and deactivate hundreds of thousands of underage accounts before the deadline.
Similarly, TikTok’s Australia policy lead, Ella Woods-Joyce, stated, “TikTok will comply with the law and meet our legislative obligations.” However, they cautioned that the ban could lead to unintended consequences. Similarly, Jennifer Stout, Snap’s senior vice president of global policy, stated, “We don’t agree, but we accept and we will abide by the law.”
The general industry consensus is that enforcement will be challenging, as the new law only requires platforms to take “reasonable steps” to detect and deactivate underage accounts, rather than verifying the age of every user.
Additionally, critics within the tech sector have also shared concerns that pushing younger users off mainstream and regulated platforms could force them into ‘darker corners of the Internet where protections don’t exist.’
Australia’s online watchdog has even suggested the ban could eventually extend to other communication platforms, including WhatsApp and gaming sites like Roblox.
