Overview
- Australia’s law takes effect on December 10, requiring designated platforms to block under‑16 accounts or face penalties up to A$49.5 million under eSafety oversight.
- Snapchat has started notifying likely under‑16 users in Australia to verify via bank‑linked ConnectID, government ID, or k‑ID selfie age estimation, with accounts to be locked from December 10.
- Snap says about 440,000 Australian users are aged 13–15; affected users are being urged to download their data, and locked accounts can be reactivated once the user turns 16 and verifies age, with unverified accounts deleted after three years.
- Meta has begun alerting users ahead of deactivations, while TikTok and Kick say they will comply but have not detailed their processes; exemptions currently include Discord, WhatsApp, Lego Play and Pinterest.
- Malaysia’s communications minister confirmed a 2026 under‑16 sign‑up ban with eKYC using MyKad, passports or MyDigital ID, as experts in both countries flag privacy and accuracy concerns over bank checks, facial estimation and ID uploads.