Snapchat blocks 415,000 under-16 accounts in Australia

Snapchat has blocked 415,000 accounts in Australia under the country’s ban on social media use for children under 16, the company said on Monday, while warning that some users may still be bypassing age-verification systems.

The platform urged Australian authorities to require app stores to verify users’ ages as an “additional safeguard” under the world-first crackdown, News.Az reports, citing AFP.

Under legislation that came into force on December 10, platforms including Meta, TikTok, YouTube, and Snapchat are required to prevent underage users from holding accounts. Companies that fail to take what the law defines as “reasonable steps” face fines of up to A$49.5 million (US$34 million).

Australia’s online safety regulator, eSafety Commissioner, said last month that technology companies had already blocked about 4.7 million accounts, describing the outcome as “significant.”

Snapchat said that by the end of January it had blocked or disabled 415,000 Australian accounts belonging to users under 16.
“We continue to lock more accounts daily,” the company said in an online statement.

However, Snapchat warned that the law leaves “significant gaps,” arguing that current age-estimation technology is only accurate within a margin of 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,” the company said.

Snapchat joined Meta in calling on Australia to require app stores to verify users’ ages before allowing app downloads.
“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.

While saying it understands Australia’s objectives and supports protecting people online, Snapchat said it does not believe an outright ban is the right approach and argued that its platform should not be covered by the legislation.

“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.

News.Az 

By Nijat Babayev