Australia warns social media giants over under-16 ban compliance

Australia's internet regulator has warned that major social media platforms are not doing enough to keep children under 16 off their services, despite a law that came into effect in December 2025.

The legislation prohibits anyone under 16 from using 10 platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube. However, eSafety expressed "significant concerns" about how these companies are implementing the restrictions.

The regulator's first report since the ban found several compliance issues, such as allowing under-16 users to bypass age verification, insufficient measures to stop new underage accounts, and limited reporting options for parents to flag violations.

In the first month after the ban, about 4.7 million accounts were restricted or removed, according to eSafety. Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said the regulator will now begin actively enforcing the rules and gathering evidence to determine whether platforms have failed to take reasonable steps to prevent underage access.

Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, and Threads, said it is committed to complying with the law but highlighted that accurate age verification is a challenge across the industry. Snap, which operates Snapchat, said it had locked 450,000 accounts and continues to block more daily.

Despite the ban, many under-16s are still able to access social media. A BBC visit to a Sydney school found that most students who used social media before the law remained active on the platforms, some bypassing age checks entirely.

Parents have largely welcomed the policy, seeing it as support in limiting their children's social media use. Critics, however, argue that educating children on online risks would be more effective than banning them. Some also say the law disproportionately affects minority groups, including rural, disabled, and LGBTQ+ youth, who often rely on online communities for support.

Inman Grant acknowledged that the reform is challenging entrenched social media habits built over two decades but said platforms are capable of complying immediately. She emphasized the role of parents as key partners in enforcing the ban and said Australia will continue pushing for cultural change despite resistance from tech companies.