Meta, TikTok to Enforce Australia’s Under-16 Social Media Ban Ahead of December Deadline

Overview

• The law, passed in late 2024, takes effect on 10 December and bars people under 16 from using social networks in Australia.
• Meta said it faces numerous challenges but expects to delete hundreds of thousands of under‑16 accounts before the cutoff, according to executive Mia Garlick.
• TikTok’s Ella Woods-Joyce told an Australian Senate hearing the company will comply and cautioned that bans could push young users toward less-protected parts of the internet.
• Canberra’s rules expose companies that breach the law to fines of up to $32 million and do not require platforms to verify every user’s age.
• Regulators have asked 16 additional services, including Twitch, WhatsApp, Steam and Roblox, to make their case on whether they should fall under the measure.