Apple outlines compliance tools as Australia enacts under-16 social media ban

Apple is directing developers to a set of App Store tools designed to help them comply with Australia’s new social media restrictions for minors, just days before the country becomes the first to enforce a nationwide ban on social media accounts for anyone under 16.

The law, which takes effect December 10, requires platforms operating in Australia to block underage users from creating new accounts and to begin deactivating existing accounts held by users under 16. Major apps including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Reddit, X, Twitch, Threads, and YouTube (excluding YouTube Kids) are covered under the mandate. Companies that do not take “reasonable steps” to remove underage users face steep penalties after a one-year transition period.

In a briefing posted to its developer newsroom, Apple said developers are responsible for ensuring their apps follow the new regulations. To support that effort, Apple pointed to a set of App Store and OS-level features intended to verify user age ranges and show compliance information to customers:

Declared Age Range API: The newly introduced API allows apps to request a user’s age range — including a bracket for “under 16” — enabling developers to adjust features or block account creation where required.

App Store product page indicators: Developers can detail age-related restrictions in their app descriptions, and Apple’s updated age ratings questionnaire now includes fields for in-app age assurance tools. Apps that use the Declared Age Range API can signal that capability directly on their App Store listing.

Higher minimum age setting: Developers may choose to set an age rating above what Apple’s questionnaire generates, giving them flexibility to align with regional laws such as Australia’s ban.

Age Suitability URL: An optional field allows developers to link to their own website explaining age requirements and regional policies — including Australia’s new restriction — which then appears on the app’s product page.

Developers Face a Compressed Timeline

Under the law, apps have two immediate obligations beginning Wednesday:

1. Deactivate accounts belonging to users under 16, and
2. Block new signups from the same age group.

Australia may expand the list of covered apps over time, depending on where underage users migrate after the ban takes effect.

While several countries have introduced age-verification requirements or parental consent rules, Australia’s law is the first to ban all social media accounts for users under 16 outright. The move is expected to spark debate across global regulatory circles, especially as platforms update their age-verification technologies and enforcement policies.