Australian government investigates social media platforms for under-16 age ban compliance failures
Consensus Summary
Australia’s government is investigating five major social media platforms—Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube—for potential noncompliance with a world-first ban on under-16 users, which took effect in December 2025. The eSafety Commissioner’s upcoming report on February 12, 2026, will detail alleged failures by these platforms, including allowing repeated age-assurance attempts until users pass, failing to prevent banned users from creating new accounts, and providing poor mechanisms for reporting underage users. Over 4.7 million accounts were deactivated in the first two days of the ban, with Meta reporting 550,000 closures and Snapchat/TikTok combined closing 665,000. The ban covers 10 platforms, excluding services like Discord and WhatsApp, and carries fines of up to A$49.5 million for systemic noncompliance. While parent surveys show a reduction in underage accounts—from 49% to 31%—some children still maintain access, with 70% of those on Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok retaining accounts post-ban according to one source. The government has expanded the ban’s scope to include platforms with features like infinite scroll and disappearing stories, emphasizing that tech companies must comply with Australian laws if they operate in the country. Critics argue platforms are undermining the law, while Meta has defended its efforts, citing challenges in age verification at the 16-year-old boundary.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube are under investigation by Australia’s eSafety Commissioner for potential noncompliance with the under-16 social media ban, announced on February 12, 2026 (ABC, Guardian, SBS, NewsCorp).
- The ban, effective December 10, 2025, prohibits users under 16 from holding accounts on 10 platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, Reddit, YouTube, Kick, and Twitch (ABC, Guardian, NewsCorp).
- Over 4.7 million accounts were deactivated in the first two days of the ban (ABC, Guardian).
- Meta (Facebook/Instagram) reported closing 550,000 accounts, while Snapchat and TikTok combined closed 665,000 accounts since the ban (NewsCorp).
- The eSafety Commissioner will release a compliance update on February 12, 2026, detailing alleged failures by platforms to prevent repeated age-assurance attempts, reopening accounts after deactivation, and poor reporting mechanisms for underage users (ABC, Guardian, SBS, NewsCorp).
- Fines of up to A$49.5 million (US$33.9 million) apply to platforms found to have systematically failed to comply with the ban (ABC, Guardian, NewsCorp).
- A survey of 900 Australian parents found 31% of children still had social media accounts after the ban, down from 49% before (Guardian).
- The government expanded the scope of the ban in January 2026 to include platforms with infinite scroll, feedback features (likes), and time-limited content (ABC).
- Communications Minister Anika Wells stated platforms must obey Australian laws if they operate in the country (ABC, Guardian, SBS, NewsCorp)
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman-Grant mentioned 'teething issues' with age-assurance technologies during the ban’s early implementation (December 2025) (ABC).
- The definition of platforms covered by the ban was updated in January 2026 to include those with infinite scroll, 'feedback features' like likes, and disappearing stories (ABC).
- The 10 platforms assessed under the new rule include Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, Reddit, YouTube, Kick, and Twitch, excluding Discord, Google Classroom, WhatsApp, and Roblox (ABC).
- eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman-Grant is tasked with policing compliance and will release an update on Tuesday (February 12, 2026) (ABC).
- The report will detail examples of platforms allowing underage users to repeatedly attempt age assurance until they pass and failing to stop teenagers from opening new accounts after being kicked off (ABC).
- A survey of 900 parents found 70% of under-16s who had accounts on Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok before the ban still maintained access (Guardian).
- The Guardian reported that facial age estimation had higher error rates for users close to the 16-year-old cut-off, with some platforms knowing children aged 14 or 15 would receive 'false' results (Guardian).
- The eSafety report stated the most common reason children still had accounts was that they had not yet been asked to verify their age (Guardian).
- The Guardian included a statement from Meta emphasizing the challenge of age verification at the 16-year-old boundary, citing the government’s own Age Assurance Technology Trial (Guardian).
- The Guardian noted that TikTok and Google did not respond to requests for comment (Guardian).
- SBS reported that platforms were making it easy to find ways to circumvent age-assurance measures (SBS).
- NewsCorp mentioned the Let Them Be Kids campaign by News Corp as the impetus behind Australia becoming the first country to raise the age of access for social media (NewsCorp).
- NewsCorp included a breakdown of account closures: Meta (550,000), Snapchat and TikTok combined (665,000) (NewsCorp).
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The Guardian reports that 70% of under-16s maintained access to Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok after the ban, while ABC does not provide a specific percentage for these platforms but states 31% of parents reported their children still had accounts overall (Guardian vs ABC).
- The Guardian states that TikTok and Google did not respond to requests for comment, while ABC and NewsCorp do not mention this (Guardian vs ABC/NewsCorp).
- ABC mentions that platforms like Discord, Google Classroom, WhatsApp, and Roblox are excluded from the ban, but does not specify why, while other sources do not contradict or elaborate on this exclusion (ABC only).
- The Guardian highlights that the government’s own Age Assurance Technology Trial noted 'natural error margins' at the 16-year-old boundary, while ABC does not reference this trial (Guardian vs ABC).
- NewsCorp reports specific account closure numbers for Meta (550,000) and Snapchat/TikTok (665,000), but ABC and Guardian do not provide these exact figures (NewsCorp vs ABC/Guardian).
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