Australia has approved one of the strictest regulations on the use of digital platforms by teenagers, prohibiting access to social media for those under 16 from December 10th. Although the industry is not hiding its doubts, major companies are already preparing changes to comply and avoid potentially very high penalties. fines of up to 49,5 million Australian dollars.
The measure is being closely watched in other countries, including in Europe and Spain, where the debate on protecting children online is gaining momentum. Meanwhile, tech companies have begun organizing a far-reaching operation that will affect over one million profiles of minors in Australia.
What does the law cover and who does it affect?
The Australian Parliament passed the law with a clear majority (34 votes in favor and 19 against), requiring platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, X, and Reddit to block access by users under 16. Age verification is not required for everyone, but proof of age is necessary. "reasonable measures" to detect and block accounts who fail to meet the requirement.
The sanctions framework is substantial: the regulator can impose penalties of up to 49,5 million Australian dollars, equivalent to approximately 32,5 million US dollars or around 27,7 million euros. The time frame is clear: starting from December 10Companies must have their procedures operational.
How it will be applied: detection, alerts and age verification
The companies have announced that they will combine behavioral signals and automated systems to identify potential accounts belonging to minors. If a profile claims to be of legal age but its activity suggests otherwise, it may be deactivated from the effective date, a practice the companies describe as monitoring based on usage patterns.
Meta (the parent company of Facebook and Instagram) says it will notify hundreds of thousands of account holders identified as minors to prepare for the closure of their profiles, a measure reminiscent of initiatives such as Instagram will apply the PG-13 standard for minorsThe company will offer these individuals two options: delete content and data or request that it be securely stored until they reach the required age, thus seeking to provide a margin ordered to the withdrawal of accounts.
TikTok and Snapchat have announced that they will implement similar processes and proactively notify affected users. For those who believe they have been mistakenly categorized as minors, Meta and TikTok will provide a tool for... third-party age estimation as a means of appeal; Snap, for its part, is finalizing a specific solution for these cases.
The three companies have confirmed that if they detect obvious inconsistencies (for example, profiles that identify themselves as adults but exhibit signs typical of teenagers), they will suspend access. This is a gradual implementation, with Prior contact and escalation of measures where appropriate.
The platforms' stance: fulfilling reservations
Although they will comply with the law, the tech companies maintain their fundamental disagreement. Executives from TikTok and Snap have emphasized in Parliament that a total ban could divert some young people to less monitored services, reducing the capacity for supervision and support. Similarly, Meta has admitted that the rollout implies engineering challenges and age verification of considerable complexity.
In previous months, various companies in the sector warned of the difficulty of reliable large-scale implementation and of potential unintended consequences. It has even been argued that certain services—such as Snapchat or YouTube—do not fit the traditional definition of a "social network," an issue on which Australian regulators have chosen to act, prioritizing the child protection in the digital environment.
Impact beyond Australia: focus on Europe and Spain
The Australian case could set a regulatory trend. The European Union already has a digital services framework in place with strengthened obligations to protect minors, and in Spain, public debate on adolescents' access to networks and mobile phones is in full swing. The evolution of this ban will serve as a practical benchmark for evaluation. what works and what can be improved in online child protection.
European governments and legislators are closely watching the technical mechanisms that the platforms will implement, from automated detection systems to complaint channels. The key will be finding a balance. privacy, security and freedom of expressionpreventing minors from migrating to more precarious spaces.
Key dates and figures of the deployment
Timeline: The obligation begins on December 10. Fines: Up to 49,5 million Australian dollars for non-compliance. Scope: Meta estimates around 450.000 Accounts of minors between Instagram and Facebook; TikTok speaks of close contact 200.000Snapchat, from about 440.000Collectively, the companies acknowledge that they will notify more than one million affected users in Australia.
In addition to notifications and closures, companies will need to demonstrate to the regulator that they have implemented robust procedures and publicly accessible reporting channelswhich includes documenting their "reasonable measures" and their technical evaluation criteria.
The Australian movement intensifies the debate between child protection and teenagers' digital sociability. The platforms will comply with the ban, but warn of its potential side effects and technical challenges. For Europe and Spain, the experience will serve as a testing ground to calibrate... new limits and better safeguards in the use of networks by minors.
