Australia's Bold Move: Social Media Age Verification Ban Set to Change the Game

Australia is set to enforce a groundbreaking ban on social media accounts for children under 16, effective December 10. The government has issued guidelines stating that platforms like TikTok and Facebook should not require age verification for all users, arguing it would be unreasonable. This move aims to protect minors while addressing privacy concerns for existing users. With potential fines for non-compliance, the government emphasizes the need for platforms to take reasonable steps to exclude underage users. As officials prepare to discuss these guidelines with platform owners in the U.S., the implications of this legislation could reshape social media practices globally.

By Narendra Chaudhary Sep 21, 2025, 12:46 IST

Australia's New Guidelines for Social Media Age Verification

In a significant announcement, Australian officials declared that starting December, social media platforms will not be allowed to require age verification from all users. This decision coincides with the implementation of a ban prohibiting children under 16 from having accounts on these platforms.

The government has issued guidelines detailing how platforms like TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X, and Instagram should enforce this unprecedented ban on minors using social media, effective from December 10. They argue that it would be unreasonable to verify the ages of every account holder.

Julie Inman Grant, Australia's eSafety Commissioner and the architect of these guidelines, emphasized that platforms typically possess enough data to confirm whether a user is older than 16. She noted that these platforms already utilize advanced targeting technologies to reach users under this age.

Inman Grant stated, "They can target us with deadly precision when it comes to advertising. Certainly, they can do this around the age of a child."

The Australian Parliament passed this ban last year, allowing platforms a year to prepare for its enforcement. Non-compliance could result in fines reaching up to 50 million Australian dollars (approximately $33 million) for failing to prevent underage accounts.

Some critics express concerns that this legislation could infringe on the privacy of all users, as they may need to prove they are over 16. Inman Grant dismissed these fears as a "scare tactic," asserting that the government aims to protect user data.

Communications Minister Anika Wells reiterated the government's commitment to maintaining user privacy, stating, "These social media platforms know an awful lot about us. If you have been on, for example, Facebook since 2009, then they know you are over 16. There is no need to verify."

Next week, Wells and Inman Grant plan to visit the United States to discuss these guidelines with the owners of the platforms.

Inman Grant mentioned that platforms must show her agency that they are taking "reasonable steps" to exclude users under 16. She added, "We don’t expect that every under-16 account is magically going to disappear on Dec. 10. What we will be looking at is systemic failures to apply the technologies, policies, and processes."

Lisa Given, an expert in information sciences at Melbourne’s RMIT University, commented that the government's strategy recognizes the potential inaccuracies of age verification technologies. She noted, "It’s going to be up to each of the platforms to determine how they’re going to comply, and it will be interesting to see if they test the limits of the definition of ‘reasonable steps.’"