Snapchat has begun requiring Australian teenagers to verify their ages as the country prepares to enforce toughest restrictions on young people’s access to social media.
The company confirmed on Monday that age checks have already started, coming just weeks before Australia’s December 10 deadline that will require platforms to shut out all users under 16.
Under the incoming rules, social media applications, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and others, will be compelled to remove anyone below the age threshold or risk significant financial penalties.
According to Snapchat, the rollout of these checks is now underway. “Starting this week, many users will be asked to verify their age to continue accessing Snapchat,” a spokesperson said.
To verify their age, users will be offered several options: linking an Australian bank account, uploading government-issued identification, or submitting a photo of their face.
That photo will be analysed by a third-party service to provide an estimated age range. The company emphasized that users under 16 will have their accounts locked automatically from December 10 as part of compliance with the new law.
The age-verification process could also impact users wanting to retrieve their data.
Snapchat has advised teenagers to act quickly, urging them to download their information before the enforcement date. According to the platform, this may become increasingly difficult once accounts begin to be locked.
The company noted that “it may be tricky to do so once the ban starts,” warning that users who wait until the deadline may miss the chance to recover their content.
Despite preparing to comply, Snapchat said it fundamentally disagrees with the government’s decision to include the platform in the upcoming ban.
In a strong rebuke of the policy’s design, the company argued that forcing teens off mainstream platforms could endanger rather than protect them.
“However, disconnecting teens from their friends and family doesn't make them safer; it may push them to less safe, less private messaging apps,” Snapchat said.
Nevertheless, the company insisted that “we will comply, as we do with all local laws in countries in which we operate.”
So far, government regulators have exempted 10 platforms from the list, among them Discord, WhatsApp, Lego Play, and Pinterest.
However, authorities have made it clear that these exceptions may not be permanent. Officials have “reserved the right to update the list of banned platforms as required,” suggesting that more services could be included as the policy evolves or as compliance issues emerge.
The looming December 10 deadline has generated intense attention within the digital industry and among global regulators who are closely watching Australia’s approach.
Critics and supporters alike are scrutinizing whether such sweeping restrictions can be enforced at scale and whether age-verification technologies can reliably identify underage users.
Despite its ambition and its status as one of the strictest policies introduced anywhere, experts quoted in the debate have warned that implementation will be complex.
Some argue that verifying ages online without compromising user privacy remains a technical and logistical challenge, raising concerns that the law may become more symbolic than practical.
Still, Australian authorities remain firm, and platforms have begun aligning with the demands set out in the legislation.
For Snapchat, the immediate priority is preparing its users for the new environment and ensuring compliance.
As the December deadline approaches, millions of Australian teens will be watching closely to see how the change affects their access, and what the broader future of youth engagement on social media will look like under the new regime.
