Australia's Social Media Ban for Minors Falters at First Check
Australia's national ban on social media for under-16s is struggling due to a flaw in the age-check regime. Testers found that none of the 10 platforms covered by the law asked for proof of age when creating 50 test accounts. The issue lies in the initial vetting stage, which fails to flag likely minors. The ban, which came into effect on December 10, 2025, aims to protect young users from online harm.
Key points
- The Australian government's social media ban for under-16s, which came into effect on December 10, 2025, is struggling due to a flaw in the age-check regime.
- Testers created 50 test accounts across nine platforms and found that none asked for proof of age.
- The issue lies in the initial vetting stage, which infers a rough age band from online activity and fails to flag likely minors.
- Only one platform, Kick, refused to open an account without proof of age, highlighting the exception to the rule.
- The ban aims to protect young users from online harm, but the flaw raises concerns about its effectiveness.
Australia's social media ban for under-16s, which came into effect on December 10, 2025, is struggling due to a flaw in the age-check regime. The ban, designed to protect young users from online harm, relies on a system that infers a rough age band from online activity. However, testers found that this initial vetting stage fails to flag likely minors, allowing them to create accounts without proof of age.
The testers, who helped design the age-check regime, created 50 test accounts across nine platforms, including Meta's Instagram and Facebook, Snap's Snapchat, TikTok, and Alphabet's YouTube. None of the platforms asked for proof of age, highlighting the flaw in the system.
The issue raises concerns about the effectiveness of the ban, which aims to protect young users from online harm. The Australian government must address this flaw to ensure the ban is implemented correctly and effectively protects young users.
The exception to the rule is Kick, an Australian live-streaming platform that refused to open an account without proof of age. This highlights the importance of robust age-checking measures to prevent minors from accessing social media platforms.
Sources
The WireByte editorial team synthesises technology news from multiple primary sources, verifies the facts, and links every source. Articles are produced with AI assistance and reviewed under our editorial policy.