Australia’s online safety watchdog says major platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube, are not fully complying with the under-16 ban and may face court action.

Since December, regulators say about 4.7 million suspected underage accounts have been deleted and 300,000 registrations blocked.

eSafety flags weak practices in age verification, such as unlimited attempts and prompts to retry after declaring the user is underage.

Industry voices say protections should apply to adults as well, with universal principles like deletion rights and best-interests at the core.

The discussion sits within broader debates on enforcement, safety, privacy, and access in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

The move is being watched globally, with France, Malaysia, and Indonesia signaling plans to adopt similar laws.

Germany is among international discussions about child and youth protection in the digital world as the case draws attention.

The report signals ongoing attention and more actions to come as compliance and enforcement proceed.

The case underscores the regulator’s push for age-restriction compliance and could influence global discussions as governments consider similar protections for minors.

It marks a significant step in worldwide conversations on online safety restrictions and may influence other governments considering similar protections for children.

The information references an eSafety March update and official statements for details.

Experts welcome the approach of shifting data-collection justification to platforms and reducing dark patterns and targeted ads to minors, while strengthening default privacy.