Australia to enforce 16-year age limit on social media, platforms must report account closures

Starting next week, social media platforms in Australia will be required to report monthly on the number of children’s accounts they close, following the enforcement of a minimum age limit of 16, Communications Minister Anika Wells said Wednesday.

Platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, and YouTube could face fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars ($33 million) if they fail to remove accounts of children under 16. Livestreaming service Twitch was added to the list of age-restricted platforms recently.

The Australian eSafety Commissioner will issue notices to the platforms on Dec. 11, demanding account removal data, with monthly updates required for six months. Wells said the government recognises that age verification may take time but warned of fines for systemic breaches.

Google said anyone under 16 will be signed out of YouTube from Dec. 10 and lose account-specific features. Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, said suspected underage accounts will also be removed, with verification options available for those mistakenly removed.

A Sydney-based rights group, Digital Freedom Project, is seeking a High Court injunction to prevent the law from taking effect, while Wells confirmed the government will defend the legislation in court, citing parental support. Other countries, including Malaysia, France, Denmark, Greece, Romania, and New Zealand, are exploring similar minimum-age rules for social media.