Snapchat has started asking teenage users in Australia to verify their ages, ahead of the country’s sweeping new social media laws set to take effect on December 10.
The legislation will require platforms including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat to remove users under 16 or face substantial fines. In response, Snapchat said that “starting this week, many users will be asked to verify their age to continue accessing Snapchat.”
Users can confirm their age through an Australian bank account, government-issued ID, or a photo of their face, which a third party will use to estimate their age. From December 10, accounts belonging to users under 16 will be locked.
The company advised teenage users to download their data before the ban, warning that it may become difficult to do so once accounts are restricted. While Snapchat expressed disagreement with being included in the law, it confirmed it will comply, as it does with local laws in other countries.
“Disconnecting teens from their friends and family doesn’t make them safer — it may push them to less safe, less private messaging apps,” the company said.
Currently, 10 platforms, including Discord, WhatsApp, Lego Play, and Pinterest, are excluded from the legislation, though authorities have reserved the right to update the list as needed.
The law is among the strictest globally, and similar measures are being considered elsewhere. New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon plans to introduce a bill restricting children’s social media use, and the Dutch government has advised parents to ban children under 15 from apps such as TikTok and Snapchat.
Experts, however, caution that enforcing the age restrictions may be difficult, making the law potentially symbolic rather than fully effective.
