Overview
- Australia’s law is now in force, requiring major platforms to block accounts held by users under 16 and threatening fines up to AUD 49.5 million for non‑compliance.
- Early monitoring found uneven enforcement with teens reporting active accounts or workarounds, and the government acknowledged not all accounts would be disabled immediately.
- Platforms are using tools such as behavioral age inference, selfie‑based estimation, and ID or bank‑linked verification, with services like Snapchat prompting users to prove age and locking accounts until 16.
- Messaging, email, voice and video calling, online games, and educational services are exempt from the restrictions, leaving apps such as WhatsApp and Roblox outside the ban for now.
- A High Court challenge by the Digital Freedom Project with two 15‑year‑old plaintiffs is pending, as most major platforms move to comply and X has publicly resisted.