Ten apps are required to block anyone under 16 from holding
an account: YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, Reddit, X, Threads,
Kick and Twitch in Australia.
As children seek ways to circumvent the ban, little-known
social media apps Lemon8, Yope and Coverstar remain accessible and have shot to
the top of Apple's App Store charts.
Other apps that are included in the restrictions appear not
to be enforcing them.
One teenager writes on reddit he'd been kicked off platforms
owned by Meta - which include Instagram, Facebook and Whatsapp - but still had
access to Snapchat.
Others have written of trying to fool the age verification
algorithm using makeup and other strategies.
Some teens have posted on TikTok declaring they
"survived" the ban.
Law & Regulatory Framework
It prohibits minors under 16 from holding accounts on
specified age-restricted social media platforms.
Platforms must take “reasonable steps” to prevent under-16s
from creating or maintaining accounts, or face fines up to ~A$49.5M (~US$32-33M).
Age Verification Technology. Platforms are experimenting
or deploying a combination of:
Optional Government ID uploads (passport/driver’s license)
AI-based facial age estimation (e.g., video selfie to
estimate whether a user looks under or over 16)
Behavioural and metadata signals (patterns of use, typing,
location, device info) to infer age.
Banking or payment info checks in some cases as part of layered verification.
Account Handling & Compliance
Platforms must deactivate accounts of users identified as
under 16.
Some platforms allow under-16 users to archive/download
content or place accounts in “hold” until turning 16.
Users over 16 mistakenly flagged can challenge the decision
via appeal processes established by each platform.
Enforcement Difficulties
Verifying location determining if an account holder
really lives in Australia is nontrivial and often.
VPNs or proxies could mask a user’s true location,
complicating enforcement.
AI age checks aren’t perfectly accurate, risking
misclassification of adults as minors (and vice versa)
Some platforms initially lagged in implementing
systems fully, meaning under-16s temporarily slipped through.
Tricks can be exploited
1.Borrowed or Shared Identity Information.
use a parent’s, sibling’s or friend’s birthdate create accounts under another person’s name Platforms try to detect mismatches between behaviour, device history, and declared age.
2. Location Masking Tools
Tools that change or hide location (e.g., IP-masking tools)
may be used to appear outside Australia.
But be careful
Many platforms can still detect device patterns, GPS
inconsistencies, browser fingerprints, and account history.
Australia has warned that attempts to evade may still lead
to account removal.
3.Use Non-Age-Restricted Platforms. platforms not classified as “social
media” under the Act
online forums, gaming chats, or messaging apps that fall
outside the strict definition
This is part of why enforcement is complex the law targets specific
types of social platforms.
4. Using Web Versions Instead of Apps.