Snapchat has announced a suite of new age verification measures for its Australian user base as it works to comply with the country’s new Social Media Minimum Age Act (SMMA).
The regulations come into effect on December 10 and will require Snapchat to restrict access for users under 16.
The company says it strongly disagrees with the government’s classification of Snapchat as an Age Restricted Social Media Platform, but confirmed it will comply with all legal requirements.
Notifications begin rolling out this week
From this week, users identified as being under 16 will begin receiving notifications via the app, email and SMS.
These messages outline how the new laws will affect them and what steps they need to take to verify their age.
Snapchat says it will rely on both the age declared by users and its own inferred age modelling signals to determine who must verify.
How age verification will work
From December 10, any Australian user believed to be under 16 will be required to verify their age using one of three methods provided by third-party partners.
These include bank-verified ConnectID, scanning a government-issued ID such as a passport or driver licence, or facial age estimation via selfie.
Users under 16 who cannot verify their age or do not meet the minimum age requirement will lose access to their accounts.
Snapchat is encouraging these users to download their Memories, chats and videos ahead of the deadline and to cancel active subscriptions to Snapchat+ or Memories+.
Under the new rules, accounts belonging to users under 16 will be locked from December 10 and may remain inaccessible for up to three years.
Once a user turns 16, they will be able to reactivate their account. Snapchat has published support and appeal options for users who encounter verification issues or who believe their accounts were mistakenly locked.
A love hate relationship
A Snapchat spokesperson said the company remains disappointed by the government’s decision, particularly given the app’s role in facilitating close personal communication.
“Snapchat is and has always been a visual messaging app, primarily used for connection with your closest friends and family,” the spokesperson said.
“We know that for teens, maintaining friendships is a key contributor to happiness and well-being and are deeply saddened that young Aussies can no longer connect with their nearest and dearest via Snapchat.
“However, even though we strongly disagree with the government’s assessment that Snapchat is an Age Restricted Social Media Platform, we will disable accounts for users under 16 from December 10.”
Snapchat says it will continue to push for what it calls more privacy-conscious alternatives, such as age verification handled at the device, operating system or app store level rather than within each individual platform.