How teens are slipping past the Australia social media ban using dog photos and fake ages on streaming platforms?

Australia has started enforcing a world-first rule that stops kids under 16 from using major social media and streaming platforms. This includes apps like Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitch and other streaming sites. The goal is simple: keep kids safer online. But even before the ban fully takes effect, teens are already finding ways around the system.

Some kids are using fake birth dates. Others are testing selfie checks. And in one strange case shared online, users said they uploaded photos of dogs, including a golden retriever, to age-check systems, and the system still approved them as adults. These stories are raising big questions about how strong and reliable these age checks really are, especially for live streaming platforms where kids spend hours watching and chatting.



The issue became very real after Guardian Australia reported on a 15-year-old Sydney boy, called Charlie to protect his identity. Last week, Charlie got a message from Snapchat saying he needed to prove his age to keep using the app because of the new ban. Even though his account used an old birth date that made him look over 16, Snapchat still asked for a check.




Charlie chose the selfie option. He took a photo of his face, sent it in, and passed. Seconds later, he got a message saying, “Thank you, we won’t bother you any more.” Charlie said he was shocked it worked so easily.

Charlie’s Snapchat check raises concerns for Twitch and other streaming platforms

Charlie’s mother, Christine, told Guardian Australia she now wants to report her own child’s account. She questioned how a computer system can really tell the difference between a 15-year-old and a 16-year-old. “It just feels like we’re not going to win,” she said, adding she still hopes the new law helps families in the long run.

Snapchat later said it has warned the government about how hard it is to fully block under-age users using current technology. A company spokesperson explained that better age checks might work at phone, device or app-store level. Snapchat also said parents can report accounts they believe belong to under-age children.

Meanwhile, teens are still active on other platforms. Charlie said he uses Instagram, TikTok and streaming apps but has not been asked to verify his age there yet. That worries experts, because platforms like Twitch and other live streaming sites often have fewer checks and fast-moving chats.

In an opinion piece for News Corp, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the ban will not be perfect. But he stressed the message matters. Just like drinking laws, he said, rules still help even if some teens find ways to break them.

For now, kids, parents, and tech companies are locked in a game of catch-up, and the ban’s real test is only just beginning.

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