• by Colin Kirkland , 2 hours ago

In compliance with Australia’s groundbreaking under-16 social media ban, Snapchat has announced that it has locked or disabled over 415,000 accounts in the region belonging to supposed underage users. 

According to a report from the social media company, the blocked accounts belong to users “who either declare an age under 16” or who Snapchat believes to be under 16 based on its age-detection technology. 

Despite Snapchat’s insistence that it has continued “to lock more accounts daily,” the company’s statement makes it clear that Australia’s Social Media Minimum Age (SMMA) law’s current implementation approach “leaves significant gaps that could undermine its goals.”

Specifically, Snapchat’s report points to a recent trial conducted by the Australian government, alleging that some users under 16 may be able to bypass government and platform-inducted protections, while some users over 16 may be incorrectly impacted.

Additionally, Snapchat’s report states that the company is “concerned that when young people are cut off from these communication tools, some may turn to alternative messaging services that are not being regulated.” 

The company has no data to support the legitimacy of this potential shift. 

In December, Australia became the first country to ban children from some of the world’s most popular social media platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and X. Last month, Meta reported that it had blocked 544,000 accounts in the region. 

The Australian government insists that the SMMA isn’t a ban, but a delay in kids’ access to these social media platforms. 

Snapchat’s report comes days after the company settled a lawsuit involving a teen who claimed that she was harmed due to the platform’s allegedly addictive design.

In addition to Australia’s nationwide social media, Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Malaysia, Italy, and Norway are actively considering similar plans.