Australian Teens Bypass Snapchat Age Verification Using Adult Faces

Under-16 users in Australia are bypassing Snapchat's age-verification systems by using adult faces to trigger age-signals from the scanning provider, k-ID. This loophole allows children to create accounts despite a ban on social media for those under 16 that took effect on December 10. k-ID provides Snapchat with a simple yes or no regarding whether a face appears to be 16 or older, but it does not receive the user's declared age or gender.

While eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant confirmed that 10 age-restricted platforms were compliant as of January 16, reports indicate that significant underage use continues. The Australian government maintains that platforms must implement effective systems or face fines up to $49.5 million under the Online Safety Act. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that over 4.7 million accounts have been removed across age-restricted platforms.

Snapchat has argued that age verification should be handled at the operating system, device, or app store level. The company stated that parents may report accounts if their child is not 16, in which case the account will be suspended.