Snapchat starts requiring age verification under new law

In just a matter of weeks, a new law will come into force in Australia that will prevent children under the age of 16 from using the biggest social media platforms in a bid to reduce harm. One of the companies that will be affected by the change is Snapchat. The social media company has now announced that many users will need to begin verifying their age to continue accessing the platform, starting from this week.

If you are presented with the age-assurance prompt, you will see it when you open the app. Just tap 'Verify Your Age' to start the process. To prove you are old enough to use the service, you can use bank-verified ConnectID to verify your age with your Australian bank account. Alternatively, you can provide a scan of your government-issued ID card and the third-party service provider, k-ID, will scan and verify the ID document and age - these documents include passports, driver's licenses, or any other state-issued ID.

The final method of age assurance is facial age estimation. You can snap a selfie and k-ID will estimate an age range which will determine if you can access Snapchat. This is a good option for anyone who doesn't have the aforementioned proofs of ID. The company said it will only receive a yes or no about whether the user is 16 or older and won't get access to the data.

In its announcement, Snapchat claimed that the primary purpose of Snapchat is to connect with your closest friends and family. While this may be true, many people are also using it to connect with strangers. The Australian government has recognized this and classified it as an Age-Restricted Social Media Platform.

In terms of what underage users should do, Snapchat recommends downloading your data (this option will be available for three years after the suspension as well) and canceling any premium subscriptions to things like Snapchat+ and Memories+. After December 10, the accounts will be locked. They will stay like that for three years, so if you pass age 16 you can verify and get access to your old account; otherwise, it will be deactivated.