‘Your account has been locked’: The message Australian children are receiving as world-first U16 social media ban comes into force
Australian kids attempting to log into Snapchat, and soon TikTok, Instagram and Facebook, are being met with lock-out screens as the nation’s world-first ban on under-16s accessing social media takes effect.
Children across Australia were abruptly locked out of Snapchat overnight, hours before the nation’s world-first under-16 social media ban officially took effect, with the platform pushing through a sweeping shutdown of young users’ accounts from 4pm on Tuesday.
When affected users tried to open the app, they were met with a message that their account had been locked under new Australian law.
The full screen notification reads: “Your account has been locked.
“Hi, We’re sorry to let you know that due to a new Australian law, Snapchatters under 16 can no longer access Snapchat.
“If you’re 16 or older, you can verify your age to unlock your account. If you’re under 16, you can download your data. When you turn 16 and complete age verification, you’ll be able to regain access to your account.
“If you are a Snapchat+ subscriber, you can cancel your subscription within your device’s settings.
“We understand these changes may feel disappointing. They reflect evolving laws and regulations that unfortunately affect your experience on Snapchat.”
The message also links users to information about the law and what it means for their accounts.
Snapchat is the first major platform to begin enforcing the ban, which now prohibits children under 16 from accessing apps including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat. Any company that fails to take “reasonable steps” to keep underage users off their platforms faces fines of up to $50 million.
eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said “the eyes of the world are watching” as Australia becomes the first country to introduce such sweeping restrictions.
She said the crackdown strikes at the heart of social media companies’ business models.
“What this effectively means is there are 2.5 million 8–15-year-olds they can no longer monetise,” she said.
“That’s where the pushback was. We may see some cases. We may see some blatant non-compliance, but we’ve got plans for that.”
TikTok users also woke on Wednesday to an in-app alert advising them the rules had changed overnight.
“Updates to our terms. Users must now be 16 or older to use TikTok in Australia,”
the message reads.
“We’ll use your age information to confirm if you’re old enough to use TikTok and for other purposes, as described in our Privacy Policy.
“By continuing, you agree to our Terms of Service.”
The platform is now prompting millions of users to re-confirm their ages, with many reporting forced logouts, repeated prompts and facial-recognition checks.
The sudden rollout sparked a flood of calls to 2GB’s Ben Fordham Live on Wednesday morning, with teenagers describing mixed experiences, from instant lockouts to inconsistent verification checks and loopholes.
Xavier, 13, told the program he was surprised he hadn’t been removed from his accounts yet.
“I thought it would happen by 12 o’clock. I checked my YouTube settings and it said my location was the United States, so it hasn’t happened yet,” he said.
“I haven’t been banned off it yet. My account is still running. I’ve got Instagram, Snapchat and Discord.”
Hannah, 15, said she was kicked off Snapchat last night, while all her 16-year-old friends remained online.
“It’s really hard on the school holidays for me to communicate with them … it said to verify your age, so I tried to do the face ID and it was successful, but when I logged back in it said device banned,” she said.
“My older friend who’s 15 tried it and it said she was 16.”
Sophie, 14, said she was still logged into TikTok and Snapchat, but had been forced to re-verify.
“There’s nothing like IDs. You just have to do facial recognition, which nearly all of my friends passed,” she said.
Federal Youth Minister Anika Wells addressed the rollout on Nova 96.9’s Fitzy & Wippa with Kate Ritchie, saying the shift would be uncomfortable but necessary.
“Well, I hope today brings relief for a lot of families,” she said.
“We know hundreds of thousands of accounts have already been paused. The transition is going to be rough, but ultimately, and for very good reason, we hope teens will start feeling the effects of real-world connections and won’t feel so shackled to the online life.”
When asked how parents should respond to backlash from frustrated teens, Ms Wells offered a simple response.
“Mum and Dad can say: ‘This isn’t me doing this to you. It’s the Australian Government.’ They’re doing it for very good reason — because this is causing harm, mental harm, to you and your friends who’ve been caught up in these addictive algorithms.”
She also addressed scrutiny over her own travel entitlements.
“Everything I have done has followed the rules… but for the absolute avoidance of doubt, I have self-referred myself to IPIA.”
The ban will continue to phase in across all major platforms this week.
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Originally published as ‘Your account has been locked’: The message Australian children are receiving as world-first U16 social media ban comes into force
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