Shortly before the start of the ban on social media for children and teenagers Australia Online service Snapchat wants to ask hundreds of thousands of users to prove their age. If they don’t do this, their accounts will be blocked, Australia’s “Guardian” reported, citing the company. The backdrop is a new ban Down Under that prohibits all users under the age of 16 from using various platforms. This came into effect on December 10.
The notifications will be sent this week via app, email or SMS to accounts that Snapchat says are most likely to be used by users under 16. To do this, the platform uses “behavior-based signals” from usage as well as self-reported age data. Snap’s parent company Inc. told a Senate committee last month that it believed about 440,000 users in Australia were aged between 13 and 15.
Anyone misclassified as under 16 years old must go through an age verification process. Proof can be provided via an Australian bank account, documents such as a passport or driving licence, or age assessment using facial recognition.
Your own data can be downloaded
However, affected users should be given the opportunity to download their own data such as chats, reminders or videos before December 10. From that date onwards, their account will be blocked – and will remain blocked until they are 16 years old.
Snapchat said it refused to comply with the ban, but wanted to comply. After Meta – the parent company of Facebook and Instagram – it is the second major platform to announce details of implementing the ban. Tiktok and Kick announced they would follow the ban, but have not outlined any measures. Reddit, Twitch, X and YouTube have not commented on this.
The government in Canberra passed the law a year ago and made Australia a global pioneer. The platforms were given twelve months to implement the new age restrictions.
What is it like in other countries?
Greece is now also blocking social media for those under 16 years old. The Danish government recently agreed with other parliamentary parties to impose a national age limit of 15 for accessing certain social media. In Germany, there is no legally established minimum age limit for users. Theoretically, parents of young people under the age of 16 must consent to its use – but this is rarely verified, and birth dates can easily be faked during registration.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:251124-930-332560/1
