Australia tells social platforms not to re-verify all users ahead of under-16 account ban
Guidelines advise targeted use of existing data and ‘reasonable steps’ to exclude children as December deadline nears
MELBOURNE, Australia — Australian authorities on Tuesday advised social media platforms not to demand age verification from all account holders as the country prepares to implement a ban on children under 16 holding social media accounts beginning Dec. 10.
The eSafety Commission released guidelines describing how platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram should apply what the government has called the world’s first ban on children using social media. The guidance says verifying the ages of every user would be unreasonable and that platforms should instead use existing data and targeting tools to identify and exclude under-16 accounts.
"We think it would be unreasonable if platforms reverified everyone’s age," said eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, who drafted the guidelines. Her use of the word "reverified" suggested regulators expect platforms to already hold sufficient information for many accounts to demonstrate users are older than 16.
Inman Grant said platforms have "targeting technology" that can be used to focus on those under 16, adding that the government will look for evidence that companies have taken "reasonable steps" to exclude children younger than 16. She cautioned that regulators do not expect every under-16 account to vanish on Dec. 10 but said they will pursue systemic failures to apply relevant technologies, policies and processes.
The law, passed by Parliament last year, gives platforms until Dec. 10 to implement measures to prevent children under 16 from holding accounts. Companies face fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars (about $33 million) for systemic failures.
Communications Minister Anika Wells said the government aims to keep platform users’ data as private as possible and rejected suggestions the ban would require every Australian to undergo fresh age checks. "These social media platforms know an awful lot about us. If you have been on, for example, Facebook since 2009, then they know you are over 16. There is no need to verify," Wells said. She and Inman Grant are scheduled to travel to the United States next week to discuss the guidelines with the platforms’ owners.
The guidelines and ministerial comments respond to critics who warned the ban could have wide privacy implications by forcing all users to prove their age. Privacy advocates have said some forms of age verification, such as document uploads or biometric scans, could expose personal data or entrench surveillance-style practices.
Lisa Given, an information sciences expert at Melbourne’s RMIT University, told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. that the government’s approach appears to acknowledge the limitations of age-verification technologies. "It’s going to be up to each of the platforms to determine how they’re going to comply and it will be interesting to see if they test the limits of the definition of ‘reasonable steps,'" she said.
Inman Grant emphasized regulators will assess platforms on whether they have taken proportionate, evidence-based steps rather than imposing a one-size-fits-all verification mandate. The guidance points to a combination of approaches, including using account history, device signals, behavior patterns and advertising-targeting systems to identify likely under-16 accounts.
Industry responses to the guidance have not been detailed publicly. Platform operators have previously raised concerns about the technical and privacy challenges of robust age verification at scale and the potential for such systems to be circumvented. Regulators and lawmakers have pushed for a balance between protecting children, preserving user privacy and enabling practical implementation timelines.
The Australian law marks a notable development in global debate over how to protect children online. Other jurisdictions have pursued measures to restrict minors’ access to certain online services or to require parental consent, but Australia’s approach, which includes a blanket minimum age for account-holding combined with regulatory enforcement, is among the most assertive.
As the December deadline approaches, the eSafety Commission will monitor compliance and investigate instances it considers systemic. Companies that implement policies and technologies the regulator deems reasonable are likely to avoid enforcement action, while those with serious or widespread failures risk fines and other sanctions under the legislation.