eSmart
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An extract from Ctrl+Shft/Safe on Social's Kirra Pendergast
This time of year is a beautiful kind of chaos, the good kind. The kind that means we’re back in community, back to the routines that anchor young people, back to the job of raising whole humans together. But this year, we’re walking into something new. On December 10, 2025, Australia introduced a world-first law.
Not a guideline.
Not advice.
Law.
And it changes the conversation.
Because when kids start talking about it this term — and they will — we need the explanation to be correct.
Unfortunately, this has been wrongfully stated in the media as a ban on kids using social media.
But when you read the actual law and the fines involved, this law does not ban children from accessing social media. It is banning social media platforms from accessing children until the age of 16yrs, cutting off validation loops, algorithmic manipulation, and the shaping of identity through what is fed to them online.
Big difference.
When you say to a child that Australia has not banned kids, but it has banned social media from kids, it is a much easier conversation.
Some kids under 16 will still be online. The law is new. It’s only been in place for a few weeks, and like any major shift, it’ll take time — time for platforms to comply, time for enforcement to build, time for reporting to the eSafety Commissioner to start drawing the line in the sand. Just like when seatbelt laws rolled out not every car had them, not every driver followed the rules. It took pressure and time, and we can’t say whether it will work or not.
It was never meant to be a silver bullet; it is a circuit breaker and conversation starter. We prepared the kids for December 10th, just in case everything was switched off on that date, and we needed them to be prepared and to store all the things they wanted to keep. We still do, as we don’t know exactly when or if it will happen from this moment on.So we need to keep talking to them.
So while this law is already a landmark, it’s not a lock just yet. And in the meantime, kids will do what kids do. They’ll find workarounds, borrow login details, use older siblings’ dates of birth. That doesn’t make them bad. That doesn’t make them the problem. That makes them kids.
So here’s what they need to know:
If you’re under 16 and something goes wrong online, you will not get in trouble.
Not from the government. Not from their school. Not from anyone who’s actually doing their job. They are not the target of this law. Big tech is.
If something happens and they feel scared or unsure, speak up. They will be heard. They will be helped. Nothing about this law changes that. If anything, it makes it more urgent.
This is also not about parents.It’s not about teachers.It’s about the power that big tech has over our connections, and how it shapes us and how we start taking it back.
Information from age-restricted platforms
These links are provided by Facebook:
- About the changesExternal link Find out about what this means for Australian users under 16.
How does video selfie age verification work on Facebook?External link
Advice about how to have your age verified on Facebook.
- Report an underage userExternal link How to report an underage user on Facebook.
- Review and export a copy of your Facebook informationExternal link How to download your Facebook stories, posts and account information.
Users aged 16 and older who mistakenly receive a notification or lose access to their accounts have the option to confirm their age through Meta’s third-party partner, Yoti, by providing a video selfie or government-issued ID. Yoti deletes this information once the age check is complete.
Read more about Facebook in The eSafety Guide, including how to protect your personal information and report harmful content.
These links are provided by Instagram:
- About the changesExternal link Find out about what this means for Australian users under 16.
- How does video selfie age verification work on Instagram?External link Advice about how to have your age verified on Instagram.
- Report an underage userExternal link How to report an underage user on Instagram.
Review and export a copy of your Instagram informationExternal link How to download your Instagram stories, posts and account information.
Users aged 16 and older who mistakenly receive a notification or lose access to their accounts have the option to confirm their age through Meta’s third-party partner, Yoti, by providing a video selfie or government-issued ID. Yoti deletes this information once the age check is complete.
Read more about Instagram in The eSafety Guide including how to protect your personal information and report harmful content.
Kick
These links are provided by Kick:
- About the changesExternal link Find out about what this means for Australian users under 16.
- Age assurance FAQsExternal link Learn how Kick verifies age, what information is used and how privacy is protected.
Australian users have been asked to confirm their age using the k-ID systemExternal link.
Read more about Kick in The eSafety Guide including how to protect your personal information and report harmful content.
These links are provided by Reddit:
- About the changesExternal link Find out about what this means for Australian users under 16.
- Report an underage userExternal link How to report an underage user on Reddit.
- Review and export a copy of your Reddit informationExternal link How to download your Reddit data and account information.
- Age information on RedditExternal link Find out how age verification works on Reddit.
Lodge an appealExternal link A form you can use to appeal an age-based account suspension.
Read more about Reddit in The eSafety Guide, including how to protect your personal information and report harmful content.
Snapchat
These links are provided by Snap:
- About the changesExternal link Find out about what this means for Australian users under 16.
- Report an underage userExternal link How to report an underage user on Snapchat
Users under 16 whose accounts are locked will have three years to download their data from the time their account is locked. These users are encouraged to cancel any subscriptions to Snapchat+ or Memories+. They can expect to receive this messaging from Snap through in-app messages as well as via SMS and push notifications.
After an account is locked, it will be preserved in a locked state for three years. After that, it will become deactivated. However, users who turn 16 any time during the three year period can use an age assurance process to confirm their age through ConnectIDExternal link (bank-verified), or through photo ID or facial age estimation options provided by third-party service provider k-IDExternal link.
Read more about Snapchat in The eSafety Guide, including how to protect your personal information and report harmful content.
Threads
These links are provided by Threads:
- About the changesExternal link Find out about what this means for Australian users under 16.
- How does video selfie age verification work on Threads?External link Advice about how to have your age verified on Threads.
- Report an underage userExternal link How to report an underage user on Threads.
Review and export a copy of your Threads informationExternal link How to download your Threads posts and account information.
Users aged 16 and older who mistakenly receive a notification or lose access to their accounts have the option to confirm their age through Meta’s third-party partner, Yoti, by providing a video selfie or government-issued ID. Yoti deletes this information once the age check is complete.
Read more about Threads in The eSafety Guide, including how to protect your personal information and report harmful content.
TikTok
These links are provided by TikTok:
- About the changesExternal link Find out about what this means for Australian users under 16.
- Report an underage user (in-app)External link How to report an underage user in the TikTok app.
- Report an underage user (outside the app)External link How to report an underage user with TikTok's reporting form.
About suspended accountsExternal link How users can appeal if their account has been suspended in error.
Read more about TikTok in The eSafety Guide, including how to protect your personal information and report harmful content.
Twitch
These links are provided by Twitch:
- Age assurance on TwitchExternal link Twitch's approach to age assurance.
- Guide for parents and educatorsExternal link How parents and guardians, educators, and other adults can report an underage user on Twitch.
- Filing a ReportExternal link How users can file a report on Twitch.
Twitch Help CenterExternal link How users can appeal if their account has been suspended in error.
Read more about Twitch in The eSafety Guide, including how to protect your personal information and report harmful content.
X
These links are provided by X:
- Report an underage userExternal link How to report an underage user on X.
- About suspended accountsExternal link How users can appeal if their account has been suspended in error.
Australian Online Safety InformationExternal link Find out how X approaches online safety for Australians.
Read more about X in The eSafety Guide, including how to protect your personal information and report harmful content.
YouTube
These links are provided by Google:
- About the changesExternal link Find out about what this means for Australian users under 16.
Age verification on GoogleExternal link How age verification works with Google
Read more about YouTube in The eSafety Guide, including how to protect your personal information and report harmful content.