Instagram & Facebook Accounts of Under-16 Users to Be Blocked in Australia Under New Safety Law

New Delhi:
As concerns rise globally about the impact of social media on children’s mental and physical health, Australia has introduced a new online safety law aimed at protecting minors.

From December 10, children under the age of 16 will not be allowed to use Instagram, Facebook, TikTok or Snapchat without parental consent. This makes Australia the first country in the world to enforce a nationwide restriction on social media usage for minors.

Under the new law, social-media companies must identify and block accounts of under-16 users. Platforms that fail to comply may face penalties of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars (approx. ₹270 crore).

Accounts to Be Removed After Notification

According to a Reuters report, affected teenagers will receive notifications before their accounts are permanently deleted. They will be given three options:

Download their profile data

Freeze their profile (temporary deactivation)

Delete their account permanently

AI-Based Age Verification

Instead of asking users to upload ID proofs, companies like Meta, TikTok, and Snapchat will use AI-based systems to estimate a user’s age by analysing:

Likes

Comments

Activity patterns

If a user believes they were wrongly flagged as a minor, they can appeal using age-verification apps. These apps verify the user’s age through selfie-based AI analysis.
The UK-based company Yoti, which provides age-verification technology for Meta, confirmed that the system may take a few weeks to stabilise.

A Model for the World?

TikTok has revealed that around 200,000 users aged 13–15 are on the platform in Australia. The government expects social-media platforms to proactively detect and block such accounts.

Experts believe this law may set a global precedent, with several countries expected to adopt similar measures by 2026. Australia is now officially the first nation to impose strict limits on social-media access for minors.