Australia Enforces Under‑16 Social Media Ban on Major Platforms

Overview

• Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, Threads, X, Reddit, Twitch and Kick must block accounts for users under 16, while services such as WhatsApp, Discord, Steam Chat and YouTube Kids remain outside the ban for now.
• Companies report mass removals, with more than 1 million youth accounts deleted ahead of enforcement; Google says it will automatically disconnect Australian users under 16 from YouTube and Meta has started disabling suspected under‑age profiles.
• Noncompliant platforms face fines of up to AU$49.5 million, and eSafety will request monthly data on account deletions for six months to monitor adherence.
• Firms are deploying document checks, selfie‑based age estimation and third‑party services such as Yoti and k‑ID, alongside behavioral inference, which has raised privacy and accuracy concerns for users near the cutoff.
• Legal challenges are underway, including actions backed by the Digital Freedom Project and suits by teenagers to the High Court, as rights groups like UNICEF Australia warn the ban could isolate vulnerable young people; users and parents do not face penalties.