Bank Checks, Photo IDs: Snapchat Reveals How It Will Verify Underage Users

Snapchat has revealed how it plans to comply with Australia’s impending under-16 social media ban.

The Snapchat logo is displayed on a cell phone screen in San Anselmo, Calif., on Feb. 3, 2022. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Tech giant Snapchat has revealed how it plans to verify the age of young Australia users in the lead-up to the country’s under-16 social media ban on Dec. 10.

The social media platform will ask for details like bank account information, photo IDs, or facial age estimation.

When users open the app, they will see a option to verify their age.

“There are a few ways you can verify your age: ConnectID (bank-verified): You can verify your age through a connection with your Australian bank account,” Snapchat said.

“Photo ID: You can scan your government-issued identification card and our third-party service provider, k-ID, will scan and validate your ID document and age. The documents you submit will only be used to verify your age. These documents include passport, drivers licence or any other state issued ID.

“Facial Age Estimation: You can take a selfie and k-ID will estimate an age range.”

For users leaving the platform they will have three years to download their data.

Snapchat also said it would not receive information like facial scans, bank account details or any other personal details during the process.

The company stood by its position that it did not qualify for the ban, but decided to comply anyway.

“Since the very beginning, Snapchat is and has always been, a visual messaging app. The primary purpose of Snapchat is to connect our community with their closest friends and family. We know that Snapping is the most personal way of communicating,” Snapchat said.

“However, the Australian government disagrees and has classified Snapchat as an Age-Restricted Social Media Platform. And while we strongly disagree with this assessment, we will comply, as we do with all local laws in countries in which we operate.”

The company also claimed disconnecting teens from the app would not make them safer.

“It may push them to less safe, less private messaging apps. We continue to advocate for more privacy-conscious solutions, such as mandating age verification at the device, operating system, or app store level.”

It’s a view shared by Digital Rights Watch.

“Young people, especially those in a minority group or remote areas of Australia, depend on the internet and social media to reach their people,” the advocacy group said in September.

“Instead of an outright ban, we should focus our efforts on better regulation of social media algorithms and the targeting of content to drive advertising revenue, which would make children safer without restricting their ability to participate in society.”

How Will the Social Media Ban Work?

The Australian government amended the Online Safety Act 2021 to include the Social Media Minimum Age Bill in late 2024, which will apply to Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube, Reddit, Kick and Twitch.

Australia’s eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman-Grant is responsible for overseeing the Online Safety Act.

The commissioner has also issued guidance (pdf) on how to implement the ban, but has left it up to the companies themselves, noting that Digital IDs could be used, but could not be the only method.

“Providers are also prohibited from using an accredited service within the meaning of the Digital ID Act 2024 unless a reasonable alternative is provided,” the guideline states.

A point Shadow Communications Minister Melissa McIntosh has been more concerned about, saying it could “compel Australians to use digital ID online.”

Meanwhile, Communications Minister Anika Wells recently said the government was heartened to see, “hundreds of thousands of Australians engaging in our education resources so they can have meaningful conversations about this significant change.”

“Now is the time for people with under-16s in their lives to start having conversations about what the new law means for them, and talk through any concerns or worries,” she said.