Australia is preparing to roll out one of the toughest online safety measures in that the world has seen. Starting December 10, Instagram and Facebook accounts belonging to users under 16 will be deactivated unless they have special permission from a parent or guardian. This rule change is part of the country’s updated online safety framework aimed at protecting younger teenagers from the risks of social media.
Why the Government Is Taking This Step?
Studies and researchers have repeatedly raised concerns about how social media affects the mental health of young users. Moreover, features that encourage endless scrolling, personalised recommendations, and online peer pressure are known to have a stronger impact on teenagers. Therefore, by enforcing a stricter age limit, the Australian government hopes to reduce exposure to harmful content and give parents more control over their child’s online activity.
How Social Media Platforms Will Verify Age
Instead of asking every teenager to upload an ID, platforms like Meta, TikTok, and Snapchat will use AI-based age-estimation tools. These systems analyse behavioural patterns such as how a person interacts with posts and what type of content they engage with to estimate whether a user is likely under 16. Then if someone is flagged incorrectly, they can challenge the decision using approved age-verification apps. These apps typically scan a selfie and use AI to determine if the user is indeed over the minimum age.
What Happens When an Account Gets Flagged?
Completely lose access if they do not verify their age or provide parental consent
Download their data before the account is restricted
Pause or freeze the account in case they want to restore it later
Completely lose access if they do not verify their age or provide parental consent
This gives young users and their families time to respond before any permanent action is taken.
Platforms Face Big Penalties for Breaking the Rules
To ensure compliance, Australia has set heavy financial penalties. Social media companies that fail to take “reasonable steps” to enforce the age requirement may face multimillion-dollar fines. This makes the law one of the strongest regulatory measures targeting tech giants.
A Move That Could Inspire Other Countries
Australia is the first nation to enforce such a strict under-16 rule, but experts believe it could become a trend worldwide. As concerns about teen safety online continue to grow, other governments may soon introduce similar laws.
