Australian government investigates Meta, TikTok, Google for under-16 social media ban violations
Consensus Summary
Australia’s government is investigating major tech companies including Meta, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube for allegedly violating the country’s new social media ban on under-16s. The laws, which took effect in December 2025, require platforms to prevent minors from creating accounts and enforce age verification. While over 4.7 million accounts were deactivated in the first days after the ban, surveys show around 31% of children still had social media access, with 70% of pre-ban users maintaining accounts on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. The eSafety Commission has accused companies of lax enforcement, including allowing repeated age verification attempts and failing to block banned users from creating new accounts. The government has threatened fines of up to A$49.5 million for systemic non-compliance, with Communications Minister Anika Wells criticizing tech firms for undermining the regulations. Meta reported closing 550,000 accounts, while Snapchat and TikTok combined removed 665,000, but critics argue enforcement remains insufficient. The investigation highlights broader tensions between government oversight and tech companies’ compliance with global child protection laws.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Australia’s social media minimum age laws (banning under-16s from accounts) came into effect on 10 December 2025, covering Meta (Facebook, Instagram, Threads), Snapchat, TikTok, Twitch, X, YouTube, Kick, and Reddit
- The eSafety Commission is investigating Meta, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube for potential non-compliance with the under-16 social media ban
- The Australian government claims over 4.7 million social media accounts were deactivated, removed, or restricted in the first days after the ban took effect
- Meta reported closing 550,000 accounts under the ban, while Snapchat and TikTok combined closed 665,000 accounts
- The maximum penalty for non-compliance with the laws is A$49.5 million (US$33.9 million)
- The eSafety Commission found that around 70% of under-16s who had accounts on Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok before the ban maintained access after the law took effect
- A survey of 900 Australian parents found that 31% of children still had social media accounts after the ban, compared to 49% before the laws
- The eSafety Commission accused platforms of allowing children to repeatedly attempt age verification until they passed, and of lax guardrails for underage users
- The laws require platforms to take reasonable steps to prevent under-16s from creating or holding accounts, including age verification and parental approval at the app store level
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- The eSafety Commission claimed facial age estimation technology had higher error rates for users close to the 16-year-old cut-off, potentially misclassifying 14- or 15-year-olds as over 16
- The Guardian reported that the eSafety Commission found some platforms encouraged children to attempt age assurance even when their declared age was under 16
- The Guardian mentioned that the Albanese government had promoted the ban’s success at the United Nations but acknowledged anecdotal reports of children still online had dented the policy’s outcome
- The Guardian included a quote from Anika Wells: 'None of this is impossible. None of this is even difficult for big tech who are innovative billion-dollar companies. What this update shows is unacceptable'
- The Guardian noted that TikTok and Google did not respond to requests for comment by publication time
- NewsCorp Australia (NewsCOMAU) reported that the eSafety commissioner is set to release a compliance update on social media companies following the ban
- The article emphasized that platforms were allowing repeated attempts at age assurance until users passed, and not preventing banned users from creating new accounts
- SBS reported that platforms were making it easy to find ways to circumvent age-assurance measures, a detail not explicitly mentioned in other sources
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The Guardian reported that TikTok and Google did not respond to comment requests, while NewsCOMAU did not mention this omission
- The Guardian stated that the eSafety Commission found 70% of under-16s maintained access on Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok, but NewsCOMAU did not provide this specific percentage breakdown
- The Guardian mentioned that the eSafety Commission raised concerns over platforms allowing repeated age verification attempts, but NewsCOMAU did not specify whether this was a new finding or previously reported
Source Articles
Meta, Tiktok and Google under investigation for allegedly disobeying Australia’s social media ban
Nearly 70% of under-16s with accounts on Instagram, Snapchat or TikTok had maintained access, survey finds The Australian government has accused big tech firms like Meta, TikTok and Google of disobeyi...
Crackdown looms for social media giants
Social media platforms like Facebook and TikTok face millions in fines over revelations they are using “big tech playbook” tactics to undermine Australia’s under-16 social media ban....
Australian politics live: social media giants accused of ‘potential non-compliance’ with under-16s social media ban
Meta, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube being investigated as eSafety releases update on compliance with social media ban. Follow today’s news live Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podc...
Australia investigating tech giants over teen social media ban breaches
A compliance report on the legislation found platforms were making it easy to find ways to circumvent age-assurance measures....