As of now, people under the age of 16 should not be able to access social media in Australia.
It's a measure put in place the Albanese Government, in accordance with its strategies on eSafety for young people, particularly surrounding the issues of bullying and the consumption of unsafe content.
So, what does this mean for account holders who are underage? Will you be punished if your account is still active and you're under 16? Will over 16s be forced to prove their age? Here's what we know and what we don't.
Which platforms does the ban apply to?
As of 10 December 2025, the under 16s social media ban applies to:
- Kick
- Snapchat
- Threads
- TikTok
- Twitch
- The social network formerly known as Twitter
- YouTube
The ban will not apply to the following:
- Discord
- GitHub
- Google Classroom
- LEGO Play
- Messenger
- Roblox
- Steam and Steam Chat
- YouTube Kids
However this could change. Reddit is currently preparing to challenge its inclusion in the ban with a lawsuit that could be lodged to the High Court of Australia. It is likely some platforms could be removed from the banned list and some new ones could be added as the policy evolves.
How are the social media platforms going to verify age?
It's still not crystal clear how each platform plans to do this. Each platform will have its own method.
The obvious one is looking at the date of birth on the account. Any account holder with a date of birth that places them under 16 will be automatically removed.
The process for the under 16s who have an inaccurate date of birth on their accounts is more complex. The only requirement from the Government is that the platforms take "reasonable steps" to ensure under 16s are removed and that Government ID cannot be used as the only way to verify age.
For example, Snap is reportedly using k-ID to verify ages. This company uses three methods: a yes/no message sent from a bank using ConnectID; scanning Government-issued ID and requesting a selfie which will be age-estimated.
It is expected that the other platforms will also use a mix of facial age matching and requesting Government IDs.
Another example is TikTok, which marked the start of the ban with a message to all users outlining updated terms of use. It read: "Users must now be 16 or older to use TikTok in Australia. We'll use your age information to confirm if you're old enough to use TikTok [...] By continuing, you agree to our Terms of Service."
The Australian Government has been clear, it is the platforms' responsibility to verify the age of its users and remove anyone under age. There is a $49.5 million fine for non-compliance.
Some accounts will receive requests for a visual age check
The removal of under 16s accounts began at least two weeks prior to the ban taking place. Some account holders have received requests to provide photos for a "visual age check". It has raised question about whether teens will be about to circumvent the ban by simply uploading the videos or photos of an older person.
If you're under 16, will the entire contents of your account be deleted?
According to reports, Facebook and Instagram will offer underage users the option to download their photos and messages or simply putting their accounts on hold for when they do turn 16.
TikTok is giving users the ability to both deactivate or to delete their accounts. They will be able to archive their posts. Snapchat users should also be able to download their photos and communications. The account should be preserved for when they turn 16.
How is the ban going to be enforced? What happens to underage users who aren't removed?
So many of the detail around the ban are still open or unconfirmed as there is no one rule; and it is up to each platform to manage their own users in their own way.
However, we know that any underage users who retain their accounts will not be punished. The Government has placed the onus for removal solely on the platforms.
For those who has planned to get around the ban with a VPN, there is evidence that the platforms will be able to tell when one is being used. A VPN will likely not be a longterm solution to skirt the ban.
Will this mean users over 16 will have to prove their age?
It is still unclear if older users will have to show proof of age, or whether their photos will simply be scanned with facial age estimation software.
If your account is mistakenly removed, there will be an appeals process available on each platform. Meta has a facial assurance check which will require user to upload a video selfie – or it will ask for Government ID. TikTok will have several appeal methods which also include age estimate and Government ID. Snap users can provide a bank card.
