Tech companies have mobilised multiple layers of age‑verification technology as Australia’s world‑first ban on social media use by under‑16s took effect on 10 December 2025, forcing platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube to block minors or face fines. According to the original report, the law is enforced by the eSafety Commissioner and carries penalties of up to A$49.5 million for non‑compliance. [1][2][4][7]
One obvious approach is documentary checks: scanning passports, driver’s licences or other official ID to prove a user is 16 or older. The company claims and regulators, however, have acknowledged privacy and usability concerns , and have told platforms they cannot make government ID mandatory even where age is disputed. Some firms are therefore offering optional third‑party ID services to streamline the process. Snapchat, for example, allows certification via an Australian bank account or submission of documents to the Singapore‑based service k‑ID. "The documents you submit will only be used to verify your age," Snap said, adding that "Snap will only collect a 'yes/no' result on whether someone is above the minimum age threshold." [1][4][6]
Biometric and image‑based checks are also in play. Platforms are using selfie analysis to estimate age in seconds. Yoti, the London startup engaged by Meta, says its algorithm learned to recognise facial patterns across age groups: "the algorithm got very good at looking at patterns and working out, 'this face with these patterns looks like a 17‑year‑old or a 28‑year‑old'", Yoti CEO Robin Tombs told AFP, and the firm says its tool can also detect whether the image is of a live person rather than a photo or video. Yoti and other vendors say they delete or do not retain identifying images after analysis, though privacy advocates remain concerned about biometric use. [1][2][6]
Beyond direct checks, platforms are applying behavioural and data signals to identify likely underage accounts. Industry data shows companies can draw on content‑consumption patterns, activity timing (for example, school‑day pauses), account creation details and social interactions , even birthday posts , to estimate age. Those same signals have long been used for advertising, but now form part of enforcement toolkits, with firms deactivating accounts flagged by such metrics. Reuters and AFP reporting note Meta has already begun suspending accounts after cross‑checking declared ages against account history. [1][2][3]
Australia’s eSafety Commissioner has urged a combined approach to reduce errors and protect privacy, describing the use of "a waterfall of effective techniques and tools" to mitigate the weaknesses of any single method. The regulator and age‑verification providers warn, however, that no system will be perfect. "Of course, no solution is likely to be 100 percent effective all of the time," the internet safety watchdog said, and vendors have acknowledged particular difficulty with users who have just turned 16 or who lack official ID. In some cases, age‑checks may allow a responsible adult to vouch for a young person’s eligibility. [1][7]
Enforcement has been immediate and imperfect. Reuters and other accounts report that platforms agreed to comply ahead of the deadline and that firms face reputational as well as financial penalties; by the law’s start thousands of underage accounts had been suspended on major platforms and around one million Australians were expected to be affected. Governments and companies alike admit that savvy young users may try to circumvent checks using VPNs, borrowed IDs or altered appearances, and that these evasion tactics complicate enforcement. [2][3][4]
Public reaction has been mixed. Teen users in Australia and overseas posted farewell messages and expressed grief at losing communities, while some parents, campaigners and officials hailed the move as a safeguard for mental health and child safety. Stories collected by AFP, Reuters and AP show divergent views: some teenagers called the ban "extreme" or said it would isolate those whose social lives or livelihoods depend on online networks, while others and some families supported the prospect of reduced online harms. The law has also prompted debate about the impact on child influencers and children who rely on social platforms to maintain family ties. [1][3][4][6]
The Australian experiment is drawing international attention. Industry observers and government officials say countries from Denmark and Malaysia to parts of Europe are watching closely, with a range of responses already under discussion , from parental consent regimes to technical limits and screen‑time rules. Reuters reporting highlights how the Australian law may influence policy debates abroad even as regulators and platforms wrestle with practical enforcement and privacy trade‑offs at home. [5][7]
##Reference Map:
- [1] (SpaceDaily/AFP) - Paragraph 1, Paragraph 2, Paragraph 3, Paragraph 4, Paragraph 6, Paragraph 7
- [2] (Reuters) - Paragraph 1, Paragraph 3, Paragraph 4, Paragraph 6, Paragraph 8
- [3] (Reuters) - Paragraph 6, Paragraph 7
- [4] (AP) - Paragraph 1, Paragraph 2, Paragraph 6, Paragraph 7
- [5] (Reuters) - Paragraph 8
- [6] (Time) - Paragraph 2, Paragraph 3, Paragraph 7
- [7] (Reuters) - Paragraph 1, Paragraph 5, Paragraph 8
Source: Noah Wire Services