Australia will, starting December 10, ban users under 16 from using social media without parental consent, according to a report by Reuters. The rule applies to Meta-owned platforms, TikTok, and Snapchat under the new Online Safety Act.
Meta, TikTok, and Snapchat will soon begin deactivating underage accounts. Affected users will receive notifications to either download their data, freeze profiles or permanently lose access to their accounts.
The regulation, introduced under Australia’s Online Safety Act, aims to protect children from mental health risks linked to social media. Companies that fail to comply could face fines up to ₹270 crore.
Rather than requesting identification documents, platforms will rely on AI systems that estimate users’ ages based on their online activity, such as likes, comments, and posts to detect underage accounts more accurately.
Users flagged as underage can appeal using age-verification apps that analyse a selfie to confirm their age. Yoti, a technology partner for Meta and TikTok, expects adoption to stabilise within a few weeks.
Australia’s law is the first nationwide measure against underage social media use, introduced after concerns over its impact on youth mental health and leaked Meta internal documents.
Experts say Australia’s move could influence other nations to adopt similar rules by 2026, setting a worldwide precedent on digital age limits and online child protection standards.
