YouTube News

Australia will sue five social media platforms over under-16 accounts

YouTube joins Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat as expected defendants in Federal Court action over under-16 accounts.

Australian Communications Minister Anika Wells said she expects the country’s online safety regulator to file Federal Court charges against YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat for failing to keep children under 16 off their services.

The case has not been filed yet. Wells said eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant gained new powers to demand documents and testimony, and Grant is using them to prepare litigation against the five companies.

Parliament’s minimum-age rule took effect in December 2025. The eSafety Commissioner opened investigations into those five platforms in March after legally enforceable notices showed many under-16 users still held accounts or passed age checks.

Meta reported earlier this year that it had acted against more than 750,000 accounts believed to belong to underage Australians. Wells said this month that platforms, not the law, were failing to comply.

YouTube and the other named platforms have not commented on the expected suit.