Australia’s Social Media Ban for Under 16s: What You Need to Know
News Agreggator using Gemini AI PRO for information and formatting /Fact checking A.Ritenis
Posted in Sydney,25 November ,2025
Australia is introducing a world-first law to ban children under 16 years old from having accounts on major social media platforms. The goal is to protect young people from online risks like harmful content and cyberbullying.
The law takes effect from December 10, and the responsibility for enforcing it falls on the social media companies, not the kids or their parents.
Key Takeaway Points
| What It Means | Details |
| 🚫 Mandatory Age: | You must be 16 or older to have an account on the affected platforms. Parental permission cannot override this rule. |
| 📱 Affected Platforms: | Major apps like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X (Twitter), YouTube (for accounts), Reddit, Kick, and Twitch are included. |
| ❌ Exempt Services: | Apps for messaging, education, and health (like WhatsApp, Google Classroom, and YouTube Kids) are currently excluded. You can still view content on YouTube without an account. |
| 🚨 Who Gets Fined? | Social media companies face huge fines (up to $49.5 million) if they don’t take “reasonable steps” to stop under-16s from joining or staying on the platforms. Kids and parents will not be fined. |
| 🧐 How They Check Age: | Platforms must use “age assurance technologies.” This could include: Government IDs, video selfies (using face estimation technology), bank account checks, or looking at a user’s online behavior to guess their age. They cannot rely only on you saying your age. |
| ⏳ What’s Happening Now: | Companies like Meta (Facebook, Instagram) are already starting to remove or deactivate existing accounts they believe belong to users under 16 ahead of the deadline. |
| 💡 Concerns: | Some people worry the new age-check methods might not be accurate, could create privacy risks by collecting sensitive data, or that kids will find easy ways to get around the ban (like using fake ages or VPNs). |
What’s Next?
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If you’re under 16, platforms like Instagram are asking you to download your data (photos, messages) before your account is deactivated.
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If you are 16 or older and mistakenly removed, companies must have a process for you to verify your age and get your account back (often by showing an ID or taking a video selfie).
That’s a great question, as Instagram and TikTok are two of the most popular platforms for young people.
Here is an elaboration on how these two companies—Meta (owner of Instagram) and TikTok—are responding to and planning to enforce the Australian ban.
📱 Instagram (Meta) Enforcement
Meta, which owns Instagram, Facebook, and Threads, was the first company to publicly detail its plan for compliance.
1. Account Deactivation
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Targeted Removal: Meta started sending two-week warnings in November 2025 to accounts they “understand to be under the age of 16” in Australia.
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Deadline: They plan to start deactivating or locking existing accounts for younger teens from December 4, ahead of the official December 10 deadline.
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Data Saving: Users receiving a notice are advised to download and save their posts, photos, videos, and messages before their accounts are deactivated.
2. Age Verification Methods
For users who believe their account was mistakenly flagged as underage (and are actually 16 or older), Meta is offering a way to appeal using a third-party service:
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Video Selfie: Users can submit a video selfie, which a third-party service will use to estimate their age using facial analysis technology.
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Government ID: Users can also submit a photo of a government-issued ID (like a driver’s license or passport) to verify their age.
3. Creating New Accounts
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From December 4, Meta will also block users they believe are under 16 from creating new accounts on Instagram, Facebook, and Threads.
🎶 TikTok Enforcement
TikTok has also stated it will comply with the law, but has been less specific than Meta about the exact timeline and methods they will use for all users.
1. Multi-Layered Approach
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TikTok says it will use a “multi-layered approach to age assurance,” relying on “various technologies and signals” to confirm a user’s age. This generally means they will use more than one method.
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Age Inference: Like other platforms, TikTok is expected to use age inference—looking at things other than your birthdate (like behavioural patterns, how you interact with content, or content you post) to estimate if you are under 16.
2. Appeal Process
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If a user is flagged as underage, TikTok will have a process for them to appeal the decision, likely using similar methods to Instagram (like a video selfie or ID submission).
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New Accounts: They will also need to ensure that anyone attempting to open a new account in Australia is age 16 or over.
❓ The Big Challenge (For Both)
The biggest unknown for both platforms is how they will accurately enforce the ban for the millions of Australian users without forcing every single user (including those over 16) to hand over a government ID. The government has ruled that demanding an ID cannot be the only option.
The platforms are focusing on:
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Using their existing data and AI to target the users who are most likely to be under 16.
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Making the high penalty fines a major incentive to take “reasonable steps” to comply with the law.
Would you like to know more about the privacy concerns surrounding these new age-verification methods?
