Popular social media platforms banned for under 16s in new Aussie crackdown

Reddit and Kick will join major social platforms in barring under-16s as Australia introduces world-first online safety laws.

Children will be barred from Reddit and Kick when Australia’s world-leading social media restrictions come into force next month.

The popular online forum and the live streaming app have been officially deemed age-restricted platforms by the online safety watchdog, along with Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube.

From December 10, the platforms must take reasonable steps to keep under 16s off their sites, or face fines of up to $49.5m.

The eSafety commission says the list of platforms is non-exhaustive, but this will give families the certainty they need to prepare for the incoming, world-leading, restrictions.

Kick, an Australian created and owned video platform, was sued by France earlier this year for negligence after a man died during a 12-day livestreaming marathon which featured him enduring abuse or humiliation at the hands of other participants.

Kick was accused by the French government of not doing everything possible to stop the broadcast of dangerous content.

Reddit is deemed social media because users can upload content and interact with other people.

Communications Minister Anika Wells said there was a time and place for social media in Australia, but there was not a place for predatory algorithms, harmful content and toxic popularity meters manipulating Australian children.

“Online platforms can target children with chilling control. We are mandating they use that sophisticated technology to protect them,” she said.

Communications Minister Anika Wells.

“I have met with major social media platforms in the past month so they understand there is no excuse for failure in implementing this law.”

Ms Wells said the government isn’t “chasing perfection, but we are chasing a meaningful difference”.

eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said delaying children’s access to social media accounts gave them valuable time to learn and grow.

Under the laws, social media companies must take reasonable steps using a multi-layered waterfall approach to stop children from having accounts on their platforms.

Such steps include detecting and deactivating underage accounts and preventing users from creating new profiles after being removed.

eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant.

Platforms don’t have to use a specific technology, but can’t rely solely on users self-declaring their age or government ID.

Appearing before the Senate last month, existing underage users on Snapchat and TikTok will be able to archive their existing posts and freeze their profiles. Meta will also allow underage users to freeze their accounts.

Teen TikTok users will have the choice to deactivate their account, suspend it, or fully delete it.

Snapchat will make a “Download my Data” tool available to teen users to “secure photos and communications before accounts are disabled and lost”.

The government acknowledges the restrictions won’t keep every child off the platforms.

Ms Wells said “we aren’t chasing perfection, we are chasing a meaningful difference”.

Originally published as Popular social media platforms banned for under 16s in new Aussie crackdown