What is Australia’s social media ban?

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.

Which platforms will be banned for under-16s?

Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, X, YouTube, Reddit, Twitch and Kick were named in the initial list.

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.

Which ones are excluded?

Platforms such as 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.

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 social media age verification work?

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 told a Senate inquiry it would have a “variety of ways” to check ages, from age assurance measures to providing ID, but it has not yet outlined in detail what these plans are.

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.

The other platforms have yet to announce what their plans are for implementing these checks.

What will happen to my account 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 was looking at developing a “frozen state” for accounts for kids to reactivate later when they turn 16

Snapchat said this would affect around 440,000 users in Australia between 13 and 15.

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.

TikTok said it would have a “simple appeals process” but has yet to outline how that will work.

The other platforms have yet to outline their own appeals process.

Will there be any challenge to the ban?

YouTube has threatened to launch a high court challenge, but has not yet undertaken this action. The company has not yet indicated it will comply with the ban.

NSW Libertarian MP John Ruddick has also said he intends to launch a high court challenge on the grounds of freedom of political communication.

Meta, TikTok, Snap and Kick have all said they will comply with the ban.

X and Reddit were approached for comment.