Australian Social Media Ban Fails as Snapchat Ignores Underage Reports
Snapchat has refused to remove an account belonging to a 14-year-old Australian boy, despite his mother reporting it under the country's new social media ban for under-16s. The company cited the teen's self-declared age of 25 as justification, highlighting significant enforcement gaps in the world-first legislation.
Parental Frustration Mounts Over Platform Inaction
Amanda, a Tasmanian mother, reported her son's Snapchat account this month through official channels, expecting immediate action. Instead, Snapchat acknowledged her complaint but took no steps to lock or delete the account. "As a parent I feel angry, dismayed and honestly quite vulnerable about how this process has unfolded," Amanda told Guardian Australia. "I reported an account belonging to my 14-year-old through the proper channels and expected that a clear underage report from a parent would be enough for the platform to act."
Snapchat defended its decision by pointing to the account's listed age of 25 and claiming there were no behavioral signals suggesting the user was under 16. A company spokesperson explained that locking accounts based solely on reports could lead to malicious false reports against legitimate users aged 16 and over.
eSafety Expresses Concern Over Industry Compliance
Australia's eSafety commissioner has received multiple similar reports from parents unable to get their children's accounts removed. A spokesperson stated that the regulator is "actively engaging with industry – including Snap – about our expectations for compliance." The guidance emphasizes that platforms should implement accessible reporting pathways and require age verification when reports are received, rather than relying solely on initial age inference methods like self-declaration.
"eSafety is concerned that some platforms are not doing enough and we are progressing regulatory investigations," the spokesperson added. This development comes three months after the federal government celebrated the removal of nearly 5 million Australian accounts from ten social media platforms under the new ban.
Technical Challenges and Survey Results Reveal Widespread Issues
Snapchat had previously warned about technical challenges in preventing young people from accessing their apps when the ban was introduced. "This is one such challenge," the spokesperson noted, advocating for age verification solutions at operating system, device, or app store levels instead.
A recent News Corp survey of nearly 300 Australian teens aged 10 to 16 found that 70% had not been removed from social media when the ban took effect in December. This statistic underscores the scale of the enforcement problem facing regulators and parents alike.
Account Finally Removed After Media Intervention
Following Guardian Australia's inquiries, Snapchat contacted Amanda to request identification documentation for her son. The account was subsequently shut down on Wednesday. Amanda reflected that while the government promised the ban would simplify parental oversight, "the reality of trying to enforce them has left me feeling that the burden has been pushed back on to families."
She questioned whether platforms should be required to implement technologies like facial age estimation or ongoing age verification, rather than depending on parents to report accounts and provide identification. The eSafety commissioner has announced a long-term study tracking over 4,000 teens and parents to assess the ban's effectiveness in coming years.
