Snapchat Blocks Over 400,000 Underage Accounts in Australia, Calls for App Store Age Checks
Snapchat Blocks Over 400,000 Underage Accounts in Australia, Calls for App Store Age Checks
Sydney — Snapchat has blocked or disabled more than 415,000 accounts in Australia belonging to users under the age of 16, the company disclosed Monday, as part of the country's pioneering social media age ban. However, the platform warned that current age-verification technology remains imperfect and urged authorities to shift responsibility to app stores for a more robust solution.
The figures come months after Australia's Online Safety Act amendments took effect in December, requiring platforms like Snapchat, Meta, TikTok, and YouTube to take "reasonable steps" to prevent under-16s from holding accounts. Non-compliance can result in fines of up to AU$49.5 million (US$34 million).
Snapchat stated it continues to lock accounts daily but highlighted flaws in the enforcement framework. "Age estimation technology is typically accurate only within a two-to-three-year margin," the company noted in an online statement. "This means some under-16s may circumvent protections, while some older teens may incorrectly lose access."
Joining Meta, Snapchat is pushing for a systemic change: requiring Apple and Google app stores to verify user ages before downloads. "A centralized verification system at the app-store level would create more consistent protection and higher barriers to circumventing the law," Snapchat argued.
The platform also expressed disagreement with being included in the ban, emphasizing its role as a private messaging app. "Cutting teens off from connections with close friends and family does not necessarily make them safer or happier," the statement read.
Australia's eSafety Commissioner reported last month that tech giants had collectively blocked 4.7 million accounts since the law was introduced, calling it a "significant outcome" in youth protection efforts.
User Reactions
Michael Chen, Parent & Digital Safety Advocate, Melbourne: "Finally, platforms are being held accountable. These numbers show the scale of the problem. But real safety requires multi-layered verification—starting at the device level."
Dr. Eliza Brown, Child Psychologist, University of Queensland: "While protection is vital, a blunt ban may isolate teens from positive peer support. We need nuanced solutions that balance safety with healthy social development."
Jamie R., 17-year-old student, Perth: "This is so frustrating. My 15-year-old cousin got locked out while I know kids using their parents' accounts. It's just theater—it doesn't stop determined kids, only punishes honest ones."
Sarah Li, Tech Policy Analyst, Canberra: "Snapchat's push for app-store verification is pragmatic. It shifts the burden to gatekeepers with more reliable data. This could become a model for other jurisdictions considering similar laws."
Reporting with contributions from agency feeds.