Australia's internet safety regulator has issued guidelines for tech companies to implement "minimally invasive" artificial intelligence and behavioral data analysis to enforce the nation's pioneering ban on social media access for those under 16, effective from December 2025.

The eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, outlined the recommendations on Tuesday, emphasizing that platforms should leverage existing tools like advertising targeting algorithms to verify ages without requiring broad adult re-identification. "They can target us with deadly precision when it comes to advertising – certainly they can do this around the age of a child," Grant said, underscoring the feasibility given the technology's precision in other areas.

The law, enacted in November 2024, initially covered Meta's Facebook and Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat, before expanding to YouTube in July 2025 following complaints about its exemption. Communications Minister Anika Wells stressed that companies must take "reasonable steps" to identify underage accounts, block re-registrations, and provide easy complaint mechanisms.

"We cannot control the ocean, but we can police the sharks," - Wells 

A February 2025 eSafety report indicated that 95% of Australian teens aged 13 to 15 used at least one social media platform since January 2024, though actual figures may be higher. The initiative responds to mounting concerns about the platforms' effects on youth mental health, with advocates praising the proactive approach while privacy groups caution against potential data misuse.