Snapchat to Lock Accounts of Australian Teens Under New Law

Snapchat has begun notifying users in Australia who are believed to be under 16 that their accounts will be locked starting 10 December 2025, in response to a sweeping new social media age restriction. The move comes as part of Snapchat’s compliance with the country’s Social Media Minimum Age (SMMA) law, despite the company’s objections to being classified as an “age-restricted social media platform.”

According to Snapchat’s official update, accounts belonging to users under 16 will be locked rather than deleted. Those users will have three years to download their data — including Memories, Chats, and videos — and may reactivate their account if they turn 16 during that window. The company also advises canceling any paid subscriptions like Snapchat+ or Memories+ before the lock date.

To verify age, Snapchat is offering users several methods through a third-party provider (k-ID):

• ConnectID, allowing users to confirm via bank account verification.
• Government-issued photo ID, such as a passport or driver’s license.
• Facial age estimation, where users take a selfie that k-ID uses to estimate age.
• Importantly, Snapchat states that it will only receive a yes/no result confirming if a user is 16 or older — it claims not to collect users’ facial scans, bank details, or any other personal data used for the verification.

Importantly, Snapchat states that it will only receive a yes/no result confirming if a user is 16 or older — it claims not to collect users’ facial scans, bank details, or any other personal data used for the verification.

Australia’s eSafety Commissioner has designated Snapchat among a list of platforms – including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, and YouTube – that must take “reasonable steps” to enforce the age restriction. The law allows for civil penalties, with non-compliant platforms facing fines of up to A$49.5 million.