Overview
- From December 10, designated platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Facebook, X, Reddit, Threads, Kick and Twitch must take reasonable steps to prevent under‑16s from holding accounts or risk fines up to A$49.5 million.
- Companies are rolling out age‑assurance checks such as facial or voice analysis, activity patterns and ID verification, with Meta already deactivating under‑16 accounts and reports of likely workarounds like VPNs and spoofed images.
- Two teenagers backed by the Digital Freedom Project have mounted a High Court challenge over implied freedom of political communication, and the New South Wales and South Australian Attorneys‑General have intervened to defend the law.
- Polling shows roughly 67–70% support for the ban, yet only 35% of voters trust platforms to block underage users and fewer than one‑third of parents plan to fully enforce it by deleting apps.
- Youth services are preparing for holiday‑period fallout, with Kids Helpline training extra counsellors and eSafety set to monitor compliance and reporting as Europe and Malaysia study Australia’s approach for potential adoption.