In brief: After approving plans to ban those aged under 16 from using social media last year, the Australian government is now considering which of the platforms should be included in the new law. In response, the companies are looking for ways to avoid being added to the ban list, with methods ranging from pleas and security promises to thinly veiled legal threats.
Social media platforms have long criticized Australia's ban on under-16s holding accounts. The law comes into effect this December, meaning the companies only have a few months to plead their cases for exemption.
The Guardian reports that Meta has focused on its teen account settings for Instagram – the image and video sharing site was exposed as one of the worst for teens' mental wellbeing a few years ago. It has also announced new protections relating to direct messages in addition to those that automatically censor nudes.
The argument over whether YouTube should be classed as a social media company has raged for years. Australia's former communications minister Michelle Rowland had promised the Google-owned site that it would be exempt from the under-16s ban, but the eSafety commissioner last month recommended that it be included, citing research that showed 37% of surveyed children who had seen or heard potentially harmful content online had found it on YouTube.
YouTube has been taking out ads in newspapers and billboards across Australia stating it is "Proudly in a category of one." YouTube also sent a letter to new communications minister Anika Wells suggesting a high court challenge if it is included in the ban.
TikTok has been taking a different approach, running ads on its own platform and Meta's that promote its educational benefits for teens. "1.7m #fishtok videos are helping them swap screen time for time outdoors," one ad claims, a rebuttal to the government's claim that a social media ban will lead to children spending more time outdoors.
Finally, there's Snapchat. The very youth-focused app has been concentrating on promoting user safety. It partnered with the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation, led by the Australian Federal Police, to produce a series of educational videos featured on several Australian influencer accounts. Snapchat has also been posting ads advising parents and teens how to spot grooming and sextortion.
Despite the companies' best efforts, the Australian government isn't relenting. Social services minister Tanya Plibersek said it would not be "bullied out of taking action by any social media giant."