Australia's Under-16 Social Media Ban: How Meta and TikTok Plan to Comply Despite Implementation Challenges

Social media platforms to remove users under the age of 16 by December 10.

Australia:

Tech giants Meta and TikTok announced on Tuesday their commitment to comply with Australia's under-16 social media ban, while expressing concerns about the challenges of implementing these landmark regulations.

Starting December 10, Australia will require social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok to remove all users under the age of 16.

Global regulators are closely monitoring Australia's comprehensive restrictions as they navigate similar concerns about social media's potential dangers for young users.

Both TikTok and Meta acknowledged enforcement difficulties but confirmed their intention to adhere to the new legislation.

"Put simply, TikTok will comply with the law and meet our legislative obligations," stated Ella Woods-Joyce, TikTok's Australia policy lead, during Tuesday's Senate hearing.

The ban represents one of the world's most stringent social media regulations for young users.

However, with implementation just over a month away, Australian authorities continue working to clarify enforcement mechanisms and company responsibilities.

TikTok cautioned that the "blunt" age restriction could lead to unexpected consequences.

"Experts believe a ban will push younger people into darker corners of the Internet where protections don't exist," Woods-Joyce warned.

Meta policy director Mia Garlick revealed the company is still addressing "numerous challenges" related to compliance.

She confirmed Meta would work to remove hundreds of thousands of under-16 accounts by the December deadline.

However, Garlick emphasized that identifying and removing these accounts presents "significant new engineering and age assurance challenges."

"The goal from our perspective, being compliance with the law, would be to remove those under 16."

Officials have previously indicated that social media companies won't need to verify all users' ages but must take "reasonable steps" to detect and deactivate underage accounts.

Companies found violating these regulations face penalties up to Aus$49.5 million (US$32 million).

Tech companies have universally criticized Australia's ban, describing it as "vague," "problematic," and "rushed."

YouTube, which also falls under the ban, stated earlier this month that while Australia's intentions were good, the execution was flawed.

"The legislation will not only be extremely difficult to enforce, it also does not fulfil its promise of making kids safer online," said local spokeswoman Rachel Lord.

Australia's online watchdog recently indicated that messaging service WhatsApp, streaming platform Twitch, and gaming site Roblox might also be included in the ban's scope.