CANBERRA — Australia will enforce a sweeping new law from 10 December requiring major social media platforms to block all users under the age of 16, in what officials describe as a world-first national crackdown on underage online access.
The rules apply to Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube and other major platforms, which must remove existing accounts belonging to minors and prevent new sign-ups. Companies that fail to take “reasonable steps” to stop under-16s from using their services face penalties of up to A$75 million (US$49.5 million).
The eSafety Commissioner will oversee compliance and enforcement, with the authority to fine platforms that fail to meet the new standards.
Meta, owner of Facebook and Instagram, has already begun notifying affected users. Teenagers who are locked out will be allowed to download their data and either suspend their accounts until they turn 16 or delete them entirely.
TikTok says it is preparing a “multi-layered approach” to verifying user age but has not yet disclosed specifics. Snapchat told lawmakers it intends to implement several verification measures beyond simple ID checks and estimates that around 440,000 users aged 13 to 15 will be impacted. It is also developing a feature that will allow users to reactivate their accounts once they can prove they meet the legal age threshold.
Because platforms are prohibited from relying solely on government-issued IDs for verification, companies will need to adopt additional technologies, including facial recognition. Meta confirmed it will use a mix of facial verification tools and ID documents to resolve disputes from users wrongly flagged as underage.
YouTube has signalled it may explore legal options but has not filed any challenge. Educational tools such as Google Classroom and YouTube Kids are exempt from the ban, as are professional platforms like LinkedIn.
All platforms will be required to implement an appeals process for users who believe they have been mistakenly locked out, though some companies have yet to outline how these systems will function.
Officials warn the list of regulated platforms may expand if underage users attempt to migrate to other services to circumvent the restrictions.
The law takes effect 10 December, marking the beginning of what the government says is a new era in online child protection.
Source: AllHipHop
