Will Australia’s social media ban on children work? A look at the hidden challenges of age verification

Australia’s Parliament has passed a new bill that would ban children younger than 16 years old from social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Reddit, and X – but there is a long way to go before the ban kicks into effect.

The law was passed by the Australian Senate on Friday, November 29, with a vote of 34-19 after the country’s House of Representatives approved the first-of-its-kind legislation by 102 votes to 13 a day prior.