Australia's world-first social media ban for children is days away but many tech firms involved are yet to reveal how they will implement it, with at least one planning to after the deadline has passed.
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Uncertainties remain about how and when underage users' accounts will be identified and deactivated, but experts say families should still talk now to prepare their children.
The government plans to impose its Social Media Minimum Age obligation from December 10, demanding some online services take "reasonable steps to prevent Australian children under 16 from having accounts on their platforms".
The restriction will apply to new and existing social media accounts, and to 10 social networks named by the eSafety Commissioner including YouTube, Instagram and Reddit.
While some technology companies have outlined how they intend to make the changes, others such as Google and X are yet to publicly reveal their plans.
The lack of detail was making some children question whether the restrictions were going ahead as announced, University of Sydney media and communications expert Catherine Page Jeffery said.
"From what I can tell, some young people perhaps have not fully accepted it is going to happen unless they have received a notification," she told AAP.
"Parents should be talking to their children, making sure that they have set up other ways to stay connected with their peers."
Meta began sending warnings to Australian users it identified as younger than 16 in November after announcing it planned to remove accounts on Thursday, one week earlier than required.
Snapchat started warning potential underage users about account closures more than a fortnight before the ban, and a TikTok spokeswoman said accounts would be deactivated as required.
"In advance of the December 10 deadline, we will share information to help parents and their teens understand these changes," she said.
Twitch has committed to stopping under-16s creating new accounts from December 10, but the game-streaming service said it would not deactivate existing underage accounts until January 9.
Other platforms including YouTube, Reddit, Kick and X have yet to reveal how they will make changes.
The uncertainty was fuelling confusion among families, Dr Page Jeffery said, leading to concerns its delivery would be chaotic.
"We need to wait and see because I don't think, come December 10, there will be a sudden cut-off," she said.
The eSafety Commissioner recommends social media users under 16 years download data from the platforms they use and consider alternative services before the ban comes into force.
Parents should also speak with their children before accounts are removed, Monash School of Psychological Sciences professor Marie Yap said, to assess how they would cope with the change.
"There will be some children who are totally blasé about this because it doesn't affect them, right through to 15-year-olds who have already been living with social media for a few years and that is their world," she said.
"That can be really confronting, disorientating and very anxiety-provoking."
Calm conversations about the social media ban would be vital, Professor Yap said, and parents should aim to be supportive, curious and keep opinions about the ban to themselves.
"It is a really good opportunity to have conversations that some families might never have had because it just happened, children started using social media and it was a bit late to take it away," she said.
"Families can use this as a good point in time to say, 'like it or not this is coming, let's work together'."
HOW PLATFORMS WILL ENFORCE THE SOCIAL MEDIA BAN
* Facebook, Instagram and Threads - Meta will begin deactivating accounts for Australian users under 16 from Thursday, a week before the ban begins, and will block them from creating new accounts. Users mistakenly identified as underage will be able to verify their age with third-party platform Yoti or provide government-issued ID
* Snapchat - The photo-sharing network will lock accounts from December 10. Users can verify their age by sharing a selfie with age-estimation provider k-ID, sharing bank account details with ConnectID or uploading a government-issued ID to the platform
* Twitch - The Amazon-owned gaming platform will prevent Australian users under 16 years from creating accounts on December 10 and will begin deactivating underage accounts on January 9, 2026
* TikTok - The video platform will use "various technologies and signals to confirm someone's age", a spokeswoman said, and will deactivate underage accounts on December 10. Those wrongly identified as under 16 years of age will be able to appeal the decision, although the process has not been revealed
* Platforms that have yet to reveal compliance measures are YouTube, Reddit, Kick and X
WHAT FAMILIES SHOULD DO TO PREPARE FOR THE SOCIAL MEDIA BAN
* Archive - Most platforms, such as Instagram and Snapchat, offer ways to download photos, videos and messages from accounts. Teens should apply to download the data a week before the deadline as it can take time to compile
* Verify - Users mistakenly identified as under the age of 16 should verify their age with platforms when they receive warnings to avoid accounts being deactivated
* Diversify - The eSafety Commissioner recommends installing and using alternative apps before the ban to stay in contact with friends. Platforms untouched by the restrictions include YouTube Kids, LEGO Play, Messenger, WhatsApp, Discord and Steam
* Discuss - Families are advised to discuss the changes to social media access and how they can identify safe alternatives to stay connected to friends
Australian Associated Press
