Australia’s sweeping new law banning social media use for those under sixteen has forced global tech giants into rare submission. Meta, TikTok, and Snap – once defiant and outspoken – are now quietly shifting from protest to compliance, preparing to deactivate over a million accounts before the 10 December deadline. Each company is building systems to notify young users, allowing them to download their data or freeze their profiles before removal. The fines for defiance are steep, up to A$49.5 million, and the message unmistakable: regulation is no longer a bluff.
What began as a flashpoint in digital governance has evolved into a template for control. Australia’s government has taken a bold step few democracies have dared – imposing age restrictions not through parental consent but by law, enforced through algorithmic age verification. The platforms, once sceptical of feasibility, are now turning to AI-driven age estimation and behavioural modelling to identify minors. Compliance has replaced confrontation, and the balance of power between global platforms and sovereign law is shifting decisively toward the latter.
Yet the adaptation is far from seamless. Age detection remains an imperfect science, prone to false flags and ethical debate. Virtual private networks may offer workarounds, and cross-platform migration could undermine enforcement. Still, the very act of compliance marks a historical moment: Big Tech has stopped dictating the pace of policy and started responding to it.
