Instagram Facebook Snapchat X (Twitter) YouTube (main platform) Reddit Twitch Threads Kick What's NOT Banned Interestingly, these are explicitly exempt: Messaging apps (WhatsApp, iMessage) Gaming platforms (Discord, Roblox) Educational tools (Google Classroom) YouTube Kids The Age Verification Problem Here's where it gets dystopian. How do you prove a user is over 16 without collecting even more personal data? The eSafety Commissioner has approved several methods: Government ID upload — Give Facebook your passport Biometric age estimation — Let AI scan your face to guess your age Digital ID tokens — Tie your social media to your national identity Third-party age verification services — Give your data to yet another company Every single method requires handing over more sensitive information than the platform originally collected. Who Gets Punished? The law explicitly states: No penalties for kids who access banned platforms No penalties for parents who help them Massive penalties for platforms that fail to implement "reasonable steps" This is a feature, not a bug. The goal is to force platforms to change their architecture, not to prosecute 14-year-olds. The Surveillance Creep Critics from the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Australian civil liberties groups warn this sets a precedent: Age verification infrastructure can be repurposed for identity verification Biometric databases created for "child safety" become surveillance assets The "think of the children" argument will be used to justify more ID requirements Once the pipes are built, the water flows. Global Implications Other countries are watching closely: UK is debating similar measures under the Online Safety Act US states (Texas, Utah, Arkansas) have enacted or proposed age verification laws EU may integrate with the EUDI Wallet for age-gating Australia is the test case. If it "works," expect this everywhere. The Real Cost The stated goal—protecting kids from algorithmic addiction—is legitimate. The implementation—building a national identity verification layer controlled by the same companies we're trying to regulate—is a privacy nightmare. They didn't ask if you wanted to trade your passport for parental controls. They just legislated it.