Melbourne, Australia — September 16, 2025
Australia is preparing to enforce a historic ban on social media use by children under 16, but authorities are clarifying that they do not want platforms to require blanket age verification for all users. AP News+2ABC News+2
From December 10, 2025, platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X, and Instagram must take steps to prevent under-16s from holding accounts. The Independent+3AP News+3Reuters+3 However, Australia's eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, and Communications Minister Anika Wells warned that requiring every user to re-verify their age would be “unreasonable.” ABC News+1
Authorities say many platforms already hold enough data—through advertising-targeting tools or account history—to infer whether a user is older than 16 without needing wide-scale, intrusive checks. Reuters+2ABC News+2 Meanwhile, platforms will be expected to show they have taken “reasonable steps” to exclude underage users, avoiding systemic failures that could lead to fines as high as AUD 50 million. Reuters+3AP News+3ABC News+3
Privacy experts have raised concerns about the risks of errors in age inference or verification, and the potential exposure of personal information if overly invasive methods are used. ABC+2The Guardian+2
Australia’s approach seeks a balance: protecting children from online harms, while avoiding unnecessary privacy intrusions or placing burdens on adult users. AP News+2ABC News+2