Overview
- Meta has begun shutting down accounts it believes belong to 13–15-year-olds on Instagram, Facebook and Threads, and has blocked new sign-ups by minors.
- Formal enforcement starts on December 10 across services including TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, X and Reddit, with fines of up to roughly AU$49.5–50 million for systemic non-compliance.
- The regulator says companies must file monthly reports on the number of underage accounts removed, with the government signaling initial leniency as age checks roll out.
- Australia’s High Court has agreed to hear a constitutional challenge by two 15-year-olds, with arguments expected early next year.
- Platforms are deploying age-assurance tools such as facial-age estimation from Yoti, which trials show can misclassify many teens and some adults, raising privacy concerns and prompting expectations of circumvention via VPNs or lesser-known apps.