Meta, TikTok to Enforce Australia’s Under-16 Social Media Ban Despite Challenges

Global tech giants Meta and TikTok have confirmed their readiness to comply with Australia’s new law banning children under the age of 16 from using social media platforms starting December 10, 2025.

The landmark legislation, considered one of the strictest online safety measures in the world, will compel platforms including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, WhatsApp, Twitch, and Roblox to identify and remove users under 16, or face heavy sanctions.

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Under the new rules, companies must take “reasonable steps” to detect and deactivate underage accounts, although they are not required to verify the age of every user. Non-compliance could attract fines of up to A$49.5 million (US$32 million).

Speaking before an Australian Senate hearing on Tuesday, TikTok’s Policy Lead, Ella Woods-Joyce, said the company would fully adhere to the law but warned of the practical difficulties involved.

“Put simply, TikTok will comply with the law and meet our legislative obligations,” she said. “However, experts believe a blanket ban could drive younger people into darker corners of the internet where protections don’t exist.”

Meta’s Policy Director, Mia Garlick, also pledged compliance, noting that the company would work to remove potentially hundreds of thousands of underage accounts before the December deadline.

“The goal from our perspective is full compliance with the law,” she said. “But identifying and removing users under 16 presents significant new engineering and age-assurance challenges.”

Despite its good intentions, the law has drawn widespread criticism from tech companies and policy experts, who describe it as “vague,” “rushed,” and “difficult to enforce.”

A spokesperson for YouTube Australia, Rachel Lord, argued that the legislation, though well-meaning, might fail to achieve its stated goal of making children safer online.

“The legislation will not only be extremely difficult to enforce, but it also does not fulfill its promise of making kids safer,” she said.

Australia’s online safety regulator has hinted that other platforms — including messaging apps and gaming services — could also fall under the ban’s scope as enforcement measures are clarified.

With the law set to take effect in just over a month, the Australian government is still finalizing the details of how it will be implemented and monitored. The global tech industry and regulators around the world are closely watching to see how effective — and enforceable — the new framework will be in practice.