Overview
- The world-first law took effect on Dec. 10 and requires 10 major platforms to prevent accounts for users under 16 or risk fines up to A$49.5 million.
- Platforms including TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook are deploying ID checks, selfie-based age estimation, bank-linked verification and behavioral inference.
- Parents and teens report limited visible change beyond some scans and removals of young-looking accounts, with workarounds still allowing access.
- Reddit has asked Australia’s High Court to overturn the restrictions, arguing the rules infringe the constitution’s implied freedom of political communication.
- Other countries are watching Australia’s experiment closely, as U.S. schools like San Diego Unified highlight a contrasting phone-free school-day approach.