More details about the Government’s social media age ban have been released, with the online safety watchdog announcing guidelines for platforms to follow.
The social media ban comes into effect in December.
Earlier this month, the Government released the results of its trials of age verification systems.
Platforms that fail to stop under-16s from making accounts could face fines of up to $49.5 million.
Under-16 ban
The Government’s ban on children under 16 using social media passed Parliament in November 2024, following a public campaign to protect young people’s mental health.
Social media companies, including Meta (Facebook and Instagram) and Snap Inc (Snapchat) could face fines of around $50 million if under-16s make an account on their platforms.
YouTube was initially exempt, but has since been included. Messaging apps and online gaming platforms won’t be covered by the ban.
Guidelines
On Tuesday, eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant outlined a series of “reasonable steps” social media platforms must implement by 10 December.
Enforcement will fall on the platforms rather than individual users. Companies will be expected to do more than rely on users self-declaring their age, and instead adopt a “layered approach” to age-verification systems.
This includes detecting and deactivating accounts belonging to underage users.
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The guidelines also encourage social media platforms to consider introducing systems that can determine users’ locations, to prevent Australian children from accessing their services.
Tech giants will be required to maintain transparency about their age-assurance measures.
This includes disclosing what systems are in place, and what personal information will be collected and stored.
The eSafety Commissioner said the guidelines were informed by consultations with 165 organisations.
Inman Grant is meeting with American tech companies in California next week to continue discussions.
Communications Minister Anika Wells said social media companies have “no excuse not to be ready” for the ban.
“Age assurance technology is already being used increasingly and prolifically by social media platforms for other purposes... There is no excuse for them not to use that same technology to protect Australian kids online,” Wells said.
Opposition
The Coalition, which met with the eSafety Commissioner ahead of today’s announcement, flagged concern about data protection if circumstances “get to a stage where digital ID is required”.
Shadow Communications Minister Melissa McIntosh told Sky News mandatory digital IDs would be “where we step over the mark.”
“We currently have our data stored in foreign servers. We have foreign satellites in our skies. We are giving our AI away to foreign big tech companies. I want our data stored here at home for the Australian people,“ McIntosh said.
