Australia’s world-first social media ban for children under the age of 16 is just a week away.
The tech platforms – large and small – are working on functionality that will kick off existing under-16 account holders and prevent any new ones from signing up.
But how will it work, what happens to those accounts and what can people do if they are wrongly banned?
What is Australia’s social media ban and when does it start?
From 10 December, platforms the Australian government has deemed to be included in the social media ban will need to deactivate all accounts for users under 16 and prevent those users from holding an account until after they turn 16.
The eSafety commissioner must be satisfied the platforms have taken “reasonable steps” to prevent under 16s from holding an account on the platform, or they will face a fine of up to $49.5m.
What social media platforms and apps are getting banned for under-16s?
Facebook
Instagram
TikTok
Snapchat
X (Twitter)
YouTube
Reddit
Twitch
Kick
Threads
Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, X, YouTube, Reddit, Twitch and Kick were named in the initial list of apps to be included in the ban.
Threads is also covered as an Instagram account is required to use the app.
The government has said this is a dynamic list, so other platforms could be added at a later stage if, for example, kids flee to one after the ban is in effect and it raises similar concerns as the above.
The eSafety commissioner has flagged that if kids migrate to other services like Lemon8 after the ban, those platforms could be added to the list and would be expected to remove teen accounts.
What are the platforms that will not be banned?
Roblox
Pinterest
YouTube Kids
Discord
WhatsApp
Lemon8
GitHub
LEGO Play
Steam and Steam Chat
Google Classroom
Messenger
LinkedIn
Platforms such as Roblox, YouTube Kids, Google Classroom, and job platforms like LinkedIn are exempt.
eSafety also said that the ban would not apply to Pinterest.
The government has left it open-ended as to whether other platforms will be expected to comply.
The eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, told Senate estimates it will be up to platforms to assess themselves and determine if they need to comply. X alternative, Bluesky, for example, had been assessed as “very low risk” due to only having around 50,000 Australian users and very few young people.
If a service is deemed of large enough size for an Australian audience, it may be asked to assess itself and seek clarification from eSafety – growing the list as time goes on.
How will age verification work on social media?
That is ultimately up to the platform to decide. The one requirement from the government is that requesting ID cannot be the only form of age check.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, would not disclose how it plans to determine which users it “understands” to be under 16, arguing it would potentially alert teens on how to avoid the ban.
Snapchat will use account behavioural signals and the birth date people list on the account to determine those who are believed to be under 16.
TikTok said in a statement it would have a “multi-layered approach to age assurance” relying on “various technologies and signals” to confirm someone’s age. It said it would be sharing information on this before 10 December.
Kick will use the same K-ID technology Snapchat uses, saying it would use a “layered approach” to age assurance.
YouTube said it would determine the age “based on the age associated with their Google account and other signals and will continue to explore how we implement and apply appropriate age assurance.”
The other platforms have yet to announce what their plans are for implementing these checks.
Will they delete all my social media accounts if I’m under 16?
For Facebook and Instagram, teens will have the choice of downloading all of their photos and messages and putting their accounts on hold for when they do turn 16. They also have the option to delete their account.
TikTok said it will give users the option to deactivate or delete their accounts and they will be able to archive the content that is there already.
Snapchat told a Senate inquiry in October that it would also allow users to download their photos and communications and it will disable and lock that account until the user can show they are over 16. The company said it would have a “frozen state” for accounts for children to reactivate when they turn 16.
Snapchat said this would affect around 440,000 users in Australia between 13 and 15.
Teens can regain access to their accounts on YouTube when they turn 16, with no content deleted. Before the account is shut down they can download their content or choose to delete their account.
The other platforms have yet to say what will happen to teen accounts.
I’m over 16 but it says I’m under, how do I appeal?
People over 16 who are mistakenly marked as being under 16 will need to go through an appeals process, the government has said.
On Meta, it will be through Yoti’s facial assurance check, which requires users to take a video selfie to assess their age or by providing a government ID.
Snapchat has said users who have been wrongly flagged as being under 16 can appeal by going through a bank card check, providing government ID such as passport or driver’s licence, or taking a selfie that is then used for facial age estimation provided by k-ID.
TikTok said it would have a “simple appeals process” but has yet to outline how that will work.
YouTube and Kick have not outlined appeals processes.
The other platforms have yet to outline their own appeals process.
Could the social media ban be delayed?
NSW Libertarian MP John Ruddick has launched a high court challenge on the grounds of freedom of political communication. The case has yet to be heard.
A parliamentary committee investigating age assurance recommended a delay in the legislation by six months to June 2026, but the Labor senators on the committee disagreed with the Greens-led report and the prime minister and communications minister have shown no signs of wavering ahead of the launch date.
Meta, TikTok, Snap, YouTube, Twitch and Kick have all said they will comply with the ban.
X and Reddit were approached for comment.
Will the ban be working on 10 December?
The government has said that people should not expect the ban to be perfect on day one, and that they won’t be seeking to punish platforms right away if they don’t comply.
“We do not anticipate that all the under 16 accounts will automatically or magically disappear on December 10th overnight,” Inman Grant told estimates in December.
“Some platforms will do this more quickly and effectively than others. Some may take some time to replicate through their massive systems. We’ll be watching closely, but I also want to set expectations that we will take a graduated risk and outcomes-based approach to compliance and enforcement, focusing on platforms with the highest proportion of underage users.”
