Snapchat has blocked 415,000 accounts under Australia’s groundbreaking social media ban for under-16s but warns that age verification technology has significant gaps allowing some youngsters to bypass restrictions.
The platform calls for stronger safeguards at the app store level to better enforce the law and protect young users.
Snapchat announced on Monday that the legislation, which came into effect on December 10, required platforms including Snapchat, Meta, TikTok, and YouTube to prevent underage users from holding accounts.
“We continue to lock more accounts daily,” Snapchat said, highlighting its ongoing efforts to comply with the world-first crackdown on underage social media use.
Australia’s eSafety online regulator reported last month that tech companies had already blocked 4.7 million accounts, delivering significant outcomes.
However, Snapchat warned that the law still leaves significant gaps, arguing that current age estimation technology is only accurate to within two to three years.
“In practice, this means some young people under 16 may be able to bypass protections, potentially leaving them with reduced safeguards, while others over 16 may incorrectly lose access,” Snapchat explained.
The company urged Australian authorities to take further action by obliging app stores to verify users’ ages before allowing them to download social media applications.
“Creating a centralized verification system at the app-store level would allow for more consistent protection and higher barriers to circumventing the law,” Snapchat said, calling this an additional safeguard to improve enforcement.
Snapchat joined Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, in advocating for mandatory age checks at the app-store level, arguing this step would reduce the risk of underage users bypassing restrictions.
Despite supporting Australia’s objectives to protect young people online, Snapchat expressed reservations about the overall approach of banning under-16s outright.
“In the case of Snapchat, which is primarily a messaging app used by young people to stay connected with close friends and family, we do not believe that cutting teens off from these relationships makes them safer, happier, or otherwise better off,” the company said.
Snapchat’s stance reflects a concern that blanket bans may isolate young users from important social connections rather than provide meaningful protection.
The Australian legislation carries significant penalties for non-compliance, with companies facing fines of up to Sh4.3 billion if they fail to take reasonable steps to ensure underage users do not access their platforms.
Since the law came into force, platforms have worked to enhance their age verification and account blocking systems.
But Snapchat’s caution highlights the challenges faced by technology companies in accurately determining users’ ages in an online environment.
The company’s call for stronger verification processes at the app-store level reinforces a broader debate about balancing online safety with access, as well as the technical difficulties in enforcing age restrictions at scale.
While the Australian social media ban marks a pioneering effort to safeguard children, Snapchat’s comments reveal the practical and ethical complexities involved in implementing such policies effectively.
As platforms continue to adapt to the new legal requirements, the issue of how best to protect young users while preserving their social connectivity remains a pressing challenge for regulators, companies, and families alike.
