Australia’s World-First Social Media Ban for Under-16s Moves Closer After Successful Tech Trial

Australia’s World-First Social Media Ban for Under-16s Moves Closer After Successful Tech Trial

Over 50 companies participated in the trial, with Apple Inc. and Google, developers of the most popular mobile-phone operating systems, also contributing.

RMN News Tech Desk
June 20, 2025

Canberra, Australia – Australia’s groundbreaking initiative to implement a social media ban for individuals under the age of 16 is poised for implementation by the end of the year, following the successful conclusion of a key government-backed technology trial. The trial’s findings indicate that checking a user’s age is technologically possible and can be privately, robustly, and effectively integrated into existing services.

The preliminary findings, announced by the government-commissioned Age Assurance Technology Trial, stated there are “no significant technological barriers” to preventing under-16s from accessing social media accounts.

This development represents a significant setback for major social media companies, including Facebook-owner Meta Platforms Inc., TikTok, and Snap Inc., all of whom had opposed the controversial legislation. Some platform operators had previously questioned the reliability of current technology to establish a user’s age.

Under the new law, digital platforms such as Snapchat, Meta-owned Instagram, and X will bear the responsibility for enforcing the age limit. Non-compliance could lead to substantial penalties of as much as A$50 million ($32 million) for breaches.

The trial explored a diverse range of methods and technologies, including:

• Facial scans
• Inferring a user’s age based on their behavior
• Age verification techniques
• Parental controls

The tests also specifically accounted for methods teenagers might employ to circumvent age checks. While the trial identified a “plethora of approaches that fit different use cases in different ways,” it did not find a single “ubiquitous solution that would suit all use cases”.

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Over 50 companies participated in the trial, with Apple Inc. and Google, developers of the most popular mobile-phone operating systems, also contributing. The trial, however, did not assess public acceptance for any particular technology or the associated costs. Furthermore, the accuracy of different methods, such as the margin of error for facial analysis, was not made available.

Australia’s progress in this area could set a precedent, potentially allowing other jurisdictions worldwide to follow its lead as countries grapple with protecting children from harmful online content.