Australians using platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and X will soon have to prove they are at least 16 years old, under new laws coming into force on 10 December.
The government’s “age-restricted social media” rules apply to any service whose main purpose is enabling interaction between users and allowing them to post material, with some exemptions.
Messaging, professional networking, online gaming, education and health-related platforms are likely to be excluded, meaning services such as WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Roblox and Coursera could escape the ban if formally assessed to meet the criteria.
Communications minister Anika Wells said the targeted platforms must deactivate underage accounts, block new sign-ups from children, verify users’ ages and guard against workarounds. Enforcement will be overseen by the eSafety commissioner, who can issue fines of up to A$49.5m for non-compliance.
To keep teenagers out, companies will have to verify the ages of all users. Although ID checks may be used, they cannot be the sole method. Likely approaches include bank or mobile provider confirmation, photo ID matched with uploaded images, facial age estimation technology, or AI-based inference from account history and behaviour.
Critics question whether the system can be watertight. Prime minister Anthony Albanese conceded some young people will find ways around the ban, comparing it to alcohol restrictions. In the UK, where similar age verification was introduced for adult websites this week, VPN usage has surged.
Platforms beyond the headline names — including Bluesky, Truth Social, Discord and Twitch — will also need to assess whether they fall under the law.
Albanese insists the changes are worth pursuing despite the challenges. “This is too important for us not to have a crack,” he said. “These are world-leading rules — not set-and-forget, but set-and-support.”
