Snapchat Rolls Out Age Verification as Australia Prepares Teen Social-Media Ban

Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1026 EAT on Monday 24 November 2025

More narrative Snapchat has begun prompting its Australian users under 18 to confirm their ages, turning to bank-developed identity technology as part of the process.
The update lands just weeks before Australia enforces a pioneering ban blocking children under 16 from social media, starting December 10.

More formal The legislation carries penalties of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars ($31.95m) for noncompliance, making it one of the most stringent frameworks globally for policing major technology companies.
In addition to Snapchat, the restrictions apply to YouTube, X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, Twitch and Kick.

In a statement on Saturday, Snapchat said users will be able to verify their age either through the ConnectID application, which links to their bank accounts, or via software provided by Singapore-based age-assurance firm k-ID.

ConnectID — owned by Australia’s major banks — said it would send the platform a simple yes/no response confirming whether a user is over 16 based on their account details, without requiring the upload of sensitive personal information.

The goal here is to protect young people online without creating new privacy risks,” ConnectID managing director Andrew Black said in a statement.

Under the k-ID option, users can either upload government-issued identification to confirm their age or submit photos that the software analyses to estimate an age range.

Snapchat said it “strongly disagreed” with the Australian government’s decision to include the platform in the ban, arguing that it operates primarily as a “visual messaging app”.
“Disconnecting teens from their friends and family doesn’t make them safer — it may push them to less safe, less private messaging apps,” the company warned.

Several other apps, including Discord, WhatsApp, Lego Play and Pinterest, have secured exemptions from the ban, though Australian authorities have reserved the right to update the list of prohibited platforms as needed.

Some young people and advocacy groups have voiced concerns about the potential consequences of the new rules. Among them is 18-year-old journalist Leo Puglisi, founder of youth news service 6 News Australia, who told a Senate inquiry that the ban would restrict young people’s access to information.

UNICEF Australia has also raised concerns about how the new rules will be implemented, warning that the government’s proposals “won’t fix the problems young people face online”.

“Social media has a lot of good things, like education and staying in touch with friends,” the organisation said in a statement. “We think it’s more important to make social media platforms safer and to listen to young people to make sure any changes actually help.”

Katrina Lines, CEO of children’s therapy provider Act for Kids, said parents should begin discussing with their children how they will stay connected as the ban takes effect in the coming weeks. “It’s important to keep the lines of communication open in the lead-up to and long after these changes take effect,” she said.

Act for Kids said a survey of more than 300 Australian children aged 10 to 16 found that 41 percent preferred connecting with family in person, compared with 15 percent who preferred interacting online.

Lines said families should still explore ways to strengthen face-to-face relationships. “One way of starting this conversation could be by asking children how they would like to stay connected to friends and family outside of social media,” she said.

Malaysia’s Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said on Sunday that the government plans to introduce a ban on social media use for children under 16 starting next year, Al Jazeera reported. He said authorities are studying the mechanisms adopted in Australia and other countries to enforce age restrictions, citing the need to shield young people from online harms including cyberbullying, financial scams and child sexual abuse.

“We hope that by next year social media platforms will comply with the government’s decision to bar those under the age of 16 from opening user accounts,” Fahmi told reporters, according to a video of his remarks published online by local daily The Star.

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