This year, the Australian government is enacting the Social Media Minimum Age Act, which restricts access to certain social media platforms for users under 16 years old. The law classifies Snapchat as an age-restricted platform, a decision with which Snap Inc. disagrees.
“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 this stance, Snap Inc. stated it will comply with local laws in every country where it operates. “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 expressed concerns about the potential impact on 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.”
Starting December 10, 2025, all Australian users under 16 will have their Snapchat accounts locked. Those affected are encouraged to download their data promptly; they will have three years from account lockout to do so before accounts are deactivated if not reinstated by verifying age upon turning 16.
“If you are under 16, you will not be able to maintain or create a Snapchat account. If you have an existing Snapchat account, we encourage you to download your data as soon as possible. You will be given three years to download your data from the time your account is locked. We also suggest you cancel any subscriptions to Snapchat+ or Memories+.”
Users who turn 16 during this period can verify their age and regain access.
To comply with these requirements, many users will be prompted to verify their age when opening Snapchat starting this week.
“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 those experiencing issues or believing their accounts were deactivated in error, Snap directs them to its Help page for support.
