Australia prepares to sue Meta, TikTok, Snap, YouTube over under-16 ban

Australia is preparing to take Meta, TikTok, Snap and Google's YouTube to court for allegedly failing to keep children under 16 off their platforms, as the country's social media age ban requires. Communications Minister Anika Wells said in an interview reported on October 20, 2026 that the eSafety Commissioner, Australia's online safety regulator, is building cases for the Federal Court against five services: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube. No case had been filed as of October 20, and no filing had been reported by October 27.

Australia's ban on under-16 accounts on major social media platforms has been closely watched by governments around the world, which want to see whether such a ban can actually be enforced. The answer so far, according to Australia's own regulator, is: only partly. If more than four in ten children aged 10 to 15 still have accounts, the age checks the platforms use are not keeping most of them out.

The planned court cases are the government's response. Under the law, it is the platforms, not children or parents, that are responsible for taking "reasonable steps" to keep under-16s off. Taking the companies to court would test what those steps must include, how strict age checks have to be, and what penalties apply when they fail. Meta and the eSafety Commissioner did not immediately comment on the plan, and Snap, TikTok and Google did not respond, according to the reports.

The debate is spreading. In Canada, the government said on October 21 that its proposed bill to bar under-16s from social media is consistent with the country's Charter of Rights, while acknowledging effects on free expression and privacy. In New Zealand, the opposition Labour Party pledged on October 19 to bring in a similar ban within 100 days if elected. Norway is also planning an under-16 ban.

For young people in India, there is no such ban. India's data protection law takes a different route: platforms must get verifiable consent from a parent before processing the personal data of children under 18. What happens in the Australian courts will be watched in other countries deciding which approach works.

What to do next if you are a student or young creator: understand the age rules and parental-consent requirements on the apps you use, keep your account details accurate, and review the privacy settings that limit who can contact you.

Short-term: The five platforms face the prospect of Federal Court cases in Australia, which could push them to tighten age checks there.

Long-term: Court rulings would set the first legal benchmarks for what "reasonable steps" to keep children off social media mean, shaping how other countries write and enforce their own rules.

Who is affected: Australian children and parents, the platforms named, regulators in other countries weighing similar bans, and young users everywhere whose apps may adopt stricter age checks.

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