Meta, TikTok, and others face scrutiny over child account compliance and Australia's social media ban

Australia's efforts to impose a social media ban for under-16s may be failing as Meta, Snapchat, TikTok, and Google face investigation and criticism for not fully complying. The issue affects countries with similar bans and raises concerns about the ability of these companies to control user access to their platforms.

Australia's eSafety Commissioner has released a damning compliance report alleging that META, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube are failing to adequately enforce the country's under-16 social media ban, which took effect December 10, 2025. While approximately 5 million Australian accounts have been deactivated since the law's implementation, the Commissioner found that a substantial number of children continue to retain accounts, create new ones, and bypass age verification systems.

The eSafety Commissioner expressed "significant concerns about the compliance" of half of the 10 platforms examined, noting that current safeguards are insufficient to prevent minors from repeatedly attempting age-check methods until they succeed. The findings raise the prospect of court action, with penalties of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars ($33 million) per platform for systemic compliance failures. A decision on whether to initiate legal proceedings is expected by midyear.

For investors in social media stocks, Australia's enforcement actions could serve as a template for other jurisdictions considering similar age-based restrictions. The regulatory pressure adds to compliance costs for Meta, which is already navigating the PG-13 teen account deal in the US. Platforms that invest early in robust age verification may gain a competitive advantage as global child safety regulations tighten, while those found non-compliant face both financial penalties and reputational risk.