This year, the Australian government is introducing the Social Media Minimum Age Act, which restricts access to certain social media platforms for users under 16 years old. The law identifies Snapchat as an age-restricted platform, a classification that Snap Inc. disputes.
A statement from Snap Inc. said, “Since the very beginning, Snapchat is and has always been, a visual messaging app. The primary purpose of Snapchat is to connect our community with their closest friends and family. We know that Snapping is the most personal way of communicating.”
Despite disagreeing with the government’s assessment, Snap Inc. confirmed it will comply with local laws in Australia. “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 stated.
Snap Inc. expressed concerns about potential consequences for young users: “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.”
Beginning December 10, 2025, accounts belonging to users in Australia who are under 16 will be locked. Affected users are encouraged to download their data before this date and consider cancelling any subscriptions such as Snapchat+ or Memories+. Locked accounts will be preserved for three years before being deactivated; if a user turns 16 during this period and verifies their age, they can regain access.
To continue using Snapchat after these changes take effect, many users will need to verify their age through prompts within the app starting this week. According to Snap Inc., “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.”
Users experiencing issues with verification or accidental deactivation are advised to consult Snap’s Help page for support.
