Latest news Snapchat responds to social media ban in Australia
Shortly before the start of the social media ban for children and young people in Australia, the online service Snapchat wants to ask hundreds of thousands of users to prove their age.
24.11.2025, 09:15
SDA
If they fail to do so, their account will be blocked, the Australian Guardian reported, citing the company. The background to this is the new ban in Down Under, which prohibits all users under the age of 16 from using numerous platforms. It comes into force on December 10.
The notices are to be sent this week via app, email or text message to accounts that Snapchat believes are likely to be used by under-16s. The platform uses "behavior-based signals" from usage as well as self-reported age data. The parent company Snap Inc. told a Senate committee last month that it assumed that around 440,000 Australian users were between 13 and 15 years old.
Anyone wrongly classified as under 16 would have to undergo an age verification process. Proof can be provided via an Australian bank account, via a document such as a passport or driver's license or via an age assessment using facial recognition.
Personal data can be downloaded
Affected users will be given the opportunity to download their own data such as chats, memories or videos before December 10. Their accounts will be blocked from the cut-off date - and will remain so until they turn 16.
Snapchat says it refuses to fall under the ban, but intends to comply. After Meta - the parent company of Facebook and Instagram - it is the second major platform to announce details on the implementation of the ban. Tiktok and Kick have announced that they will comply with the ban, but have not yet explained any measures. Reddit, Twitch, X and YouTube have not yet commented on this.
The government in Canberra passed the law a year ago, making Australia a global pioneer. The platforms were given twelve months to implement the new age restriction.
