Overview
- Platforms said they will deactivate or freeze under‑16 accounts from December 10, offering options to delete, pause or archive data for later retrieval.
- Meta will use third‑party provider Yoti for age checks via video selfie, AI age estimation or ID, while TikTok and Snap will combine behavioral signals with verification pathways.
- Company figures suggest more than a million accounts will be affected, including about 450,000 on Meta services, 200,000 on TikTok and 440,000 on Snapchat.
- The law requires “reasonable steps” to detect and remove under‑16 users and sets penalties up to A$49.5 million for non‑compliance, with exemptions flagged for health, education and some messaging services such as WhatsApp and Messenger Kids.
- Firms warned the ban may push youths to less regulated spaces and raised privacy risks; a senator accused TikTok staff of intimidation, a claim the company disputed.