Australian children world-first U16 social media ban comes into force
Australian kids under 16 trying to log into Snapchat are greeted by lockout screens, with other apps to follow suit as the nation’s historic new laws for accessing social media come into effect
READING LEVEL: ORANGE
Children across Australia were locked out of Snapchat overnight, hours before the nation’s world-first under-16 social media ban officially took effect. The platform pushed through a shutdown of young users’ accounts from 4pm on Tuesday.
When U16 users tried to open the app after the update, they were met with a message that their account had been locked under new Australian law.
The full screen notification reads: “Your account has been locked.
“Hi, We’re sorry to let you know that due to a new Australian law, Snapchatters under 16 can no longer access Snapchat.
“If you’re 16 or older, you can verify your age to unlock your account. If you’re under 16, you can download your data. When you turn 16 and complete age verification, you’ll be able to regain access to your account.
“If you are a Snapchat+ subscriber, you can cancel your subscription within your device’s settings.
“We understand these changes may feel disappointing. They reflect evolving* laws and regulations that unfortunately affect your experience on Snapchat.”
The message also links users to information about the law and what it means for their accounts.
Snapchat was the first major platform to begin enforcing* the ban, which now prohibits* children under 16 from accessing social media apps including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat. Any company that fails to take “reasonable steps” to keep underage users off their platforms faces fines of up to $50 million.
eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said “the eyes of the world are watching” as Australia becomes the first country to introduce such sweeping restrictions.
She said the crackdown strikes at the heart of social media companies’ business models.
“What this effectively means is there are 2.5 million eight to 15-year-olds they can no longer monetise*,” she said.
“That’s where the pushback was. We may see some cases. We may see some blatant* noncompliance*, but we’ve got plans for that.”
TikTok users also woke on Wednesday to an in-app alert advising them the rules had changed overnight.
“Updates to our terms. Users must now be 16 or older to use TikTok in Australia,”
the message reads.
“We’ll use your age information to confirm if you’re old enough to use TikTok and for other purposes, as described in our Privacy Policy.
“By continuing, you agree to our Terms of Service.”
The platform is now prompting millions of users to reconfirm their ages, with many reporting forced logouts, repeated prompts and facial-recognition checks.
The sudden rollout sparked a flood of calls to 2GB’s Ben Fordham Live on Wednesday morning, with teenagers describing mixed experiences, from instant lockouts to inconsistent verification* checks and loopholes*.
Xavier, 13, told the program he was surprised he hadn’t been removed from his accounts yet.
“I thought it would happen by 12 o’clock. I checked my YouTube settings and … it hasn’t happened yet,” he said.
“I haven’t been banned off it yet. My account is still running. I’ve got Instagram, Snapchat and Discord.”
Hannah, 15, said she was kicked off Snapchat last night, while all her 16-year-old friends remained online.
“It said to verify your age, so I tried to do the face ID and it was successful, but when I logged back in it said device banned,” she said.
Federal Youth Minister Anika Wells told Nova 96.9’s Fitzy, Wippa and Kate Ritchie that the shift would be uncomfortable but necessary because the platforms were “causing harm”.
“I hope today brings relief for a lot of families,” she said.
“We know hundreds of thousands of accounts have already been paused. The transition is going to be rough, but ultimately, and for very good reason, we hope teens will start feeling the effects of real-world connections and won’t feel so shackled* to the online life.”
The ban will continue to phase in across all major platforms this week.
At a launch event at Kirribilli House in Sydney, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said raising the minimum age was “one of the biggest social and cultural changes that our nation has faced”.
“My pride, in which to be the Prime Minister of Australia, has never been greater”, Mr Albanese said. “This is world-leading. This is Australia showing enough is enough. This reform will change lives for Australian kids … it’s about our families taking back control.”
POLL
GLOSSARY
- evolving: to develop gradually, or to cause something or someone to develop over time
- enforcing: to make people obey a law, or to make a particular situation happen or be accepted
- prohibits: forbid, disallow by law, officially refuse to allow something
- monetise: find a way to make money from a situation, activity or group
- blatant: obvious or deliberate, with intent and disregard for what others think
- noncompliance: not obeying a rule or law, especially one that controls a particular industry, or type of work or activity
- verification: proving or checking that it exists, or is true or correct
- loopholes: a failure to include something in an agreement or law, which allows someone to do something illegal or to avoid doing something
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QUICK QUIZ
- Which social media platform was the first to lock underage user accounts?
- What is the new minimum age for accessing the apps included in the ban?
- Platforms that do not take reasonable steps to enforce the ban face fines up to what value?
- eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant estimated how many Australian children aged eight to 15-year-olds the tech giants can no longer monetise?
- What are at least three social media apps mentioned in the story that are subject to the new laws?
LISTEN TO THIS STORY
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. How do they make money?
How do you think social media companies make money? Brainstorm as many ideas as you can think of. Check your answers to see if you were right.
Time: allow at least 15 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Information Technology
2. Extension
What rules do you think could be put in place to protect young people when they turn 16 and go back to social media? Write a list. Next to each item, write sentences explaining why this rule is needed.
Time: allow at least 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links English, Personal and Social Capability
VCOP ACTIVITY
Imaginative dialogue
Imagine you were a very active underage social media user and your access had disappeared overnight.
Create a conversation between two people from the article – you may need or want to include yourself as one of these characters. Don’t forget to try to use facts and details from the article to help make your dialogue as realistic as possible.
Go through your writing and highlight any punctuation you have used in green. Make sure you carefully check the punctuation used for the dialogue and ensure you have opened and closed the speaking in the correct places.
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