This year, the Australian government is introducing the Social Media Minimum Age Act, which sets the minimum age for using certain social media platforms at 16. As a result, Snapchat will be required to restrict access for users in Australia who are under 16 years old.
Snap Inc. stated that it disagrees with the government’s classification of Snapchat as an Age-Restricted Social Media Platform but will comply with local laws. “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. said.
Beginning December 10, 2025, accounts belonging to users under 16 in Australia will be locked. Those affected are encouraged to download their data promptly and cancel any active subscriptions such as Snapchat+ or Memories+. Accounts will remain locked for three years before being deactivated. If a user turns 16 during this period, they can verify their age and regain access.
Users under 16 will soon receive prompts to verify their age when opening Snapchat. The company clarified that only a confirmation of whether someone meets the minimum age requirement will be collected; no facial scans or other personal information from the verification process will be stored by Snap Inc.
For those experiencing issues with age verification or account deactivation, assistance is available through Snapchat’s Help page.
