Meta, TikTok back Australia’s under-16 social media ban: What’s next?

Sydney: Tech giants Meta and TikTok said on Tuesday they would comply with Australia’s new social media law barring users under 16, but cautioned that the sweeping ban will be difficult to implement effectively.

Starting December 10, social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok will be required to remove users aged under 16, as part of one of the world’s toughest online safety measures.

Both companies acknowledged the intent behind the law but said enforcing it could prove complex.

“Put simply, TikTok will comply with the law and meet our legislative obligations,” said Ella Woods-Joyce, TikTok’s Australia policy lead, at a Senate hearing. However, she warned that the “blunt” age restriction could drive young users “into darker corners of the Internet where protections don’t exist.”

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Meta’s policy director Mia Garlick said the company was working to remove hundreds of thousands of underage users before the deadline but admitted the process involves “significant new engineering and age assurance challenges.”

Officials clarified that firms are not required to verify every user’s age but must take “reasonable steps” to identify and deactivate underage accounts. Companies failing to comply could face fines of up to AUS$49.5 million (US$32 million).

The legislation, criticised by tech companies as “vague” and “rushed,” has drawn scrutiny from other global regulators. YouTube also expressed concerns earlier this month, saying the law “does not fulfil its promise of making kids safer online.”

Australia’s online safety watchdog has suggested that platforms such as WhatsApp, Twitch, and Roblox could also fall under the ban’s scope, widening the potential impact of the country’s digital safety overhaul.
(With AFP inputs)