Australia will require major social platforms to remove accounts belonging to users under 16 or face fines of up to A$50 million beginning Dec. 10, the government announced. The rule targets Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube and Twitch; platforms must take “reasonable steps” to close accounts for Australians under 16 or risk penalties.
The eSafety Commissioner will formally request data from the 10 companies on Dec. 11 about how many under-16 accounts they close, Communications Minister Anika Wells said at the National Press Club. Monthly notices will follow for six months. Wells acknowledged age verification can take time, saying it “may require several days or weeks to complete fairly and accurately,” but warned that systemic breaches could trigger fines and courts could impose maximum penalties for repeat violations.
Platform responses vary. Google said that from Dec. 10 people in Australia under 16 will be signed out of YouTube and will lose account-only features such as playlists. Google said it will estimate age using information from associated Google accounts and other signals, and criticized the legislation as rushed and unlikely to deliver promised safety benefits.
Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and Threads, said it will remove suspected under-16 users from those services starting Thursday. Users 16 and older who are mistakenly removed can verify their age through Yoti Age Verification by submitting government-issued ID or a video selfie, Meta said.
Twitch was added to the list of regulated platforms less than two weeks before the deadline.
A Sydney-based advocacy group, the Digital Freedom Project, is seeking a High Court injunction to block the law from taking effect; a hearing date has not been set. The government, for its part, says it will defend the measure in court and argues parents across Australia asked for stronger protections.
Wells also pointed to similar moves overseas, noting that Malaysia has announced a 2026 ban for under-16s and that the European Commission and countries including France, Denmark, Greece, Romania and New Zealand are considering minimum social media ages.
The new enforcement marks a significant shift in how platforms will need to identify and manage young users in Australia, raising practical and legal questions about age assurance, data checks and how companies balance safety, access and privacy.
