Major social-media companies have voiced strong concerns over Australia’s incoming ban on users under the age of 16, even as they prepare to comply with the law when it takes effect. On Tuesday, Meta Platforms (mother company of Facebook and Instagram), ByteDance (owner of TikTok) and Snap Inc. (maker of Snapchat) confirmed that they will deactivate under-16 accounts, while warning the ban may be counter-productive.
Under the legislation, platforms must take “reasonable steps” to block users younger than 16 from accessing their services, or risk penalties of up to A$49.5 million (approximately US$32.5 million). Meta said it would begin reaching out to its Australian users whose accounts have been confirmed as under the age threshold – about 450,000 holdings on Facebook and Instagram – offering them either deletion of their images and data, or storage of that content until they turn 16. TikTok noted it has around 200,000 under-16 accounts in Australia, while Snap said it identifies about 440,000 such accounts. The firms also detailed plans to use automated age-estimation tools: for example, if behavioural signals suggest someone claiming to be over 16 is actually younger, their account will be deactivated from December 10 onward.
Despite the compliance move, the companies were clear they still reject the legal approach. Snap’s senior vice-president for global policy, Jennifer Stout, said: “We don’t agree, but we accept and we will abide by the law.” TikTok’s public-policy lead for Australia, Ella Woods‑Joyce, reiterated that the platform “will comply with the law and meet its obligations”. The companies argued that an outright ban may backfire by driving young users toward less-regulated corners of the internet, thereby exposing them to greater risks.
Australia’s decision is being closely watched internationally, as governments around the world consider more aggressive regulation of social-media platforms in the name of protecting youth mental-health and online safety. The law’s activation date of December 10 gives platforms a defined window to implement their systems. Meta, TikTok and Snap said they are on track with preparations. Meta’s policy director for Australia and New Zealand, Mia Garlick, confirmed the outreach to under-16 account-holders is imminent.
The platforms also indicated routes for appeals or corrections: Meta and TikTok will let users who believe they have been mis-identified as under-16 go through a third-party age-estimation tool, while Snap said it is still working out a solution for those who dispute an automatic deactivation.
In sum, while the social-media companies are moving ahead with the technical and operational changes required by the new Australian law, their opposition highlights a tension: balancing regulatory demands with concerns over unintended consequences for young users.
