MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — On Thursday, Australian authorities required some of the world's largest social media platforms to disclose the number of accounts they have deactivated since the implementation of a ban on accounts for children under the age of 16. This law, which is described as a world-first legislation, took effect on December 10, 2025.
Major platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube, and Twitch indicated their intention to comply with this legislation, according to Communications Minister Anika Wells. The swift demand from the government, articulated by eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, aims to hold these companies accountable for effectively removing accounts belonging to young children.
Wells stated that the eSafety Commissioner would contact all ten platforms, which are recognized as age-restricted, compelling them to provide specific data regarding the number of under-16 accounts. She detailed that the platforms will be asked to report how many under-16 accounts existed on December 9, and what the current totals are as of December 11.
The eSafety Commissioner is expected to reveal the responses from these platforms within two weeks, and they will be obligated to provide monthly updates for the upcoming six months. Should the companies fail to take reasonable measures in removing accounts belonging to Australian children younger than 16, they could face fines totaling up to 49.5 million Australian dollars, approximately 32.9 million U.S. dollars, starting from the law's effective date.
Wells noted that countries including the European Commission, France, Denmark, Greece, Romania, Indonesia, Malaysia, and New Zealand have expressed interest in following Australia's initiative. "There’s been a huge amount of global interest, and we welcome it," Wells emphasized, encouraging other nations to follow suit in addressing children's access to social media.
In a counterpoint to the legislation, the Sydney-based rights organization Digital Freedom Project intends to challenge the legality of the law on constitutional grounds in Australia’s High Court early next year. Inman Grant has hinted that some platforms might be consulting legal advisors and may opt to wait for their first compulsory information notice or potential fines for noncompliance before initiating their legal challenges.
The eSafety Commissioner also expressed readiness for the scenario that some platforms might deliberately fail to exclude young children using age verification and age estimation technologies. "That could be a strategy that they have in and of themselves: we’ll say we’re complying, but then we’ll do a lousy job using these technologies," Inman Grant explained during an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Research conducted by Inman Grant revealed alarming statistics: approximately 84% of children aged 8-12 in Australia have accessed a social media account, with 90% of them doing so with parental assistance. The primary motivation for parents to help their children access these platforms appears to stem from a desire to avoid their kids feeling excluded. "What this legislation does is it takes away that fear of exclusion," Inman Grant concluded.
