Australia is preparing to enforce a world-first law that bans children under 16 from creating social media accounts starting December 10. The new rule applies to platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Reddit, and X, but the government has clarified that platforms will not be required to verify the age of every single user.
No Age Checks for All Users
Julie Inman Grant, Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, said it would be unreasonable for platforms to demand age verification from everyone. Instead, platforms already have enough user data to identify who is over 16. She explained that if platforms can target people with ads so precisely, they can also identify accounts likely to belong to children under 16.
How Platforms Must Comply
The government has issued guidelines outlining “reasonable steps” platforms should take to enforce the ban. Companies that fail to block underage accounts could face fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars ($33 million). However, Inman Grant admitted not every underage account would vanish overnight. What matters is whether platforms are systematically working to apply the rules using their technology and policies.
Privacy Concerns
Some critics argue that the ban could lead to mass age verification, impacting the privacy of all users. But Communications Minister Anika Wells dismissed these fears, calling them “scare tactics.” She pointed out that platforms like Facebook already know users’ ages based on years of activity, meaning there is no need to reverify identities.
Expert Views
Lisa Given, a professor at RMIT University, noted that age verification technology is not always accurate. She said each platform will need to decide how to comply and test what “reasonable steps” truly mean in practice.
What Happens Next
Inman Grant and Wells will travel to the United States to meet with platform owners and discuss how they plan to implement the new ban. While the rollout may not be perfect, the government says the ultimate goal is to protect young users without exposing everyone’s private data.
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