Overview
- The eSafety regulator says platforms deactivated, restricted or deleted 4.7 million Australian accounts belonging to users under 16 since the December 10 law took effect, calling the results preliminary but encouraging.
- The law applies to ten major services, including Instagram, Facebook, Threads, TikTok, Snapchat, X, YouTube, Reddit, Twitch and Kick, with several messaging and gaming apps exempt.
- Companies face penalties of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars for noncompliance, and authorities emphasize that responsibility rests with the platforms rather than parents or children.
- Reddit states it is complying while pursuing a legal challenge to the ban, highlighting ongoing industry pushback even as enforcement proceeds.
- Age verification methods are left to each platform, with officials acknowledging that some underage accounts may persist, Meta reporting about 550,000 removals in the first week, and regulators abroad studying Australia’s approach.