This year, the Australian government is enacting the Social Media Minimum Age Act, which requires users of certain platforms classified as social media to be at least 16 years old. Snapchat, operated by Snap Inc., has been designated by authorities as an age-restricted social media platform under this new law.
Snap Inc. stated that it does not agree with this classification. “However, the Australian government disagrees and has classified Snapchat as an Age-Restricted Social Media Platform. And while we strongly disagree with this assessment, we will comply, as we do with all local laws in countries in which we operate,” the company said.
The company also expressed concerns about the impact of disconnecting teenagers from their online communities. “However, disconnecting teens from their friends and family doesn’t make them safer — it may push them to less safe, less private messaging apps. We continue to advocate for more privacy-conscious solutions, such as mandating age verification at the device, operating system, or app store level,” Snap Inc. added.
As a result of this legislation, starting December 10, 2025, all Snapchat accounts belonging to users in Australia who are under 16 will be locked. Users affected by this change are encouraged to download their data before their account is locked; they will have three years from that date to do so. During those three years, if a user turns 16 and verifies their age, they can regain access to their account. After three years without verification or reaching the required age threshold, accounts will be deactivated.
Those impacted are also advised to cancel any active subscriptions such as Snapchat+ or Memories+.
Beginning this week, some users will receive prompts within the app asking them to verify their age in order to continue using Snapchat. The company clarified its approach: “Snap will only collect a ‘yes/no’ result on whether someone is above the minimum age threshold (e.g., 16). We will not receive your facial scans, bank account details, or any other personal information you provide during the age verification process.”
For users experiencing issues with verification or accidental deactivation of accounts due to errors in age assessment, Snap Inc. directs them to its Help page for further assistance.
