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Tech giants Meta and TikTok confirmed on Tuesday that they will comply with Australia’s under-16 social media ban but warned that enforcing the law could prove challenging.
From December 10, platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok must remove users under the age of 16. Regulators globally are watching closely, as the sweeping restrictions test how social media safety laws can be implemented.
Both TikTok and Meta acknowledged that policing the ban would be difficult but committed to adherence.
“TikTok will comply with the law and meet our legislative obligations,” said Ella Woods-Joyce, TikTok’s Australia policy lead, during a Senate hearing.
On paper, the ban is among the strictest worldwide, yet with just over a month until it takes effect, Australian authorities are still clarifying enforcement details and companies’ obligations.
TikTok warned that the “blunt” age restriction could produce unintended consequences.
“Experts believe a ban may push younger users into darker corners of the Internet where protections do not exist,” Woods-Joyce added.
Meta policy director Mia Garlick said the company was addressing “numerous challenges” and would work to remove hundreds of thousands of under-16 accounts by the December 10 deadline.
However, she noted that identifying and deactivating these accounts presented significant engineering and age verification difficulties.
Officials have stated that social media platforms are not required to verify every user’s age but must take reasonable steps to detect and deactivate underage accounts. Companies that fail to comply could face fines of up to AUS $49.5 million (US $32 million).
Tech companies have broadly criticised the ban as “vague,” “problematic,” and “rushed.”
YouTube also described the legislation as well-intentioned but poorly designed, stating it would be extremely difficult to enforce and may fail to make children safer online.
Australia’s online regulator has suggested that services such as WhatsApp, Twitch, and Roblox could also fall under the ban.
