Snapchat has pushed back against the Australian government’s proposal to raise the minimum age for social media access from 13 to 16, arguing that social media age restrictions should be enforced by device manufacturers like Apple or Google rather than individual platforms. This response comes as the federal government evaluates age assurance technologies amidst calls from the opposition to increase the age limit, citing concerns about social media effects on youth.
With approximately 8 million users in Australia, Snapchat’s user base is predominantly aged between 13 and 24. The platform positions itself as one focused on messaging between known contacts rather than one driven by algorithmic content distribution. Jacqueline Beauchere, Snapchat’s global head of platform safety, emphasized that Snapchat is not designed for meeting new people or engaging with strangers, but rather for connecting with existing friends. She believes that decisions about when teenagers should be allowed on social media should ultimately be made by families, as maturity levels vary among adolescents.
Currently in Sydney, Beauchere is meeting with stakeholders, including Australian eSafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant, to discuss the implications of social media age restrictions. She highlighted the importance of considering a teenager’s emotional intelligence, sense of agency, and resilience when determining if they are ready for social media. Beauchere acknowledged that imposing a blanket ban could lead to resistance, especially if it means taking away something that teens have been using and benefiting from for years. However, concerns remain about the platform’s association with issues like cyberbullying and sextortion, highlighting the potential negative social media effects on youth.
Emma Mason, the mother of 15-year-old Tilly Rosewarne, who tragically took her own life in 2022 after being bullied on Snapchat, has been a vocal advocate for raising the social media age limit. Mason likened the need for regulation to bans on cigarettes for minors, suggesting that it should be enforced by police and the courts. Security intelligence expert Paul Raffile also noted that nearly all of the 2,000 victims of financial sextortion he had spoken to were contacted via platforms like Snapchat or Instagram, further underscoring the need for stricter social media age restrictions.
In response to these concerns, Beauchere asserted that Snapchat is committed to making its platform a safer environment. The company is focused on providing tools for users to block, report, and prevent abuse. Additionally, Snapchat is working on identifying and addressing risky behaviors that could indicate illegal activities, such as sextortion, without compromising user privacy by reading messages. Snapchat has implemented measures to restrict underage users from friending people outside their contact list or a friend of a friend.
Should the Australian government proceed with raising the social media age limit to 16 and enforcing it through age verification technology, Snapchat’s president for the Asia Pacific region, Ajit Mohan, suggested that such measures would be more effective if managed at the device level by operating system owners. He believes that addressing the social media effects on youth and ensuring compliance with age restrictions is an industry-wide issue that requires a collective solution rather than being the sole responsibility of individual platforms.
