Meta, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube aren't fully complying with child account ban, Australia says - AP News
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The Bottom Line
Meta, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube are not fully complying with Australia's child account ban.
How This Affects You
Non-compliance with child account age restrictions means children may retain access to platforms, exposing them to privacy risks and data collection that regulators intended to prevent.
AI Summary
Australia says Meta, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube are not fully complying with the country's ban on social media accounts for children under 16. The Australian government implemented the age-restriction law to protect minors from online harms including cyberbullying, mental health risks, and algorithm-driven content exposure. The platforms' incomplete compliance suggests enforcement challenges as they struggle to verify user ages at scale across their global user bases. This finding underscores regulatory pressure on tech companies worldwide, with other countries considering similar age-restriction measures. Australia has indicated it may pursue additional enforcement actions or penalties if the platforms do not improve their compliance efforts.
What's Being Done
Australia has identified and publicly reported the social media platforms' non-compliance with its child account ban.
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Meta, Tiktok and Google under investigation for allegedly disobeying Australia’s social media ban
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