In Australia, you must be at least 13 years old to sign up for a Facebook account. This is the minimum age requirement set by Facebook for users worldwide.
What is the minimum age to use Facebook in Australia?
The minimum age to use Facebook in Australia is 13 years old. This age requirement applies to users who want to create their own Facebook account and have a profile on the platform.
Why is the minimum age 13?
Facebook requires users to be at least 13 years old before they can create an account. This minimum age requirement is based on the US Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). COPPA requires online services to obtain verifiable parental consent before collecting personal information from children under 13 years old.
Although COPPA is a US law, Facebook applies this minimum age requirement globally to all users for consistency. The company determined 13 years old to be an appropriate minimum age to use the platform with parental guidance.
What happens if you’re under 13?
If you are under 13 years old, you cannot create your own Facebook account. If Facebook discovers an account belongs to someone under 13, they will disable the account. This is because of legal and safety requirements.
Here are some things that may happen if you are under 13 years old with a Facebook account:
- Your account will be disabled by Facebook if they find out your real age.
- Your access to certain features may be limited.
- Your account activity and information may be removed.
- You may be contacted to verify your age with official documentation.
Facebook takes active steps to try to prevent underage use of their platform. They use artificial intelligence and user reporting to identify and take action on underage accounts.
Parental consent for under 13 use
Children under the age of 13 can only use Facebook with specific parental consent and supervision. Here is how under 13 Facebook access works:
- A parent/guardian must create the account on behalf of the child.
- The parent must provide consent during the account creation process.
- The account will be marked as belonging to someone under 13 years old.
- Parental controls and restrictions will be placed on the under 13 account.
- The parent is responsible for monitoring the child’s use of Facebook.
Without verifiable parental consent, Facebook cannot legally allow children under 13 years old to use their services. This is mandated by COPPA requirements in the US.
Facebook services with different age requirements
While 13 years is the baseline age to use Facebook’s core social media platform, some other Facebook-owned services have higher age requirements:
| Service | Minimum Age Requirement |
|---|---|
| Facebook main app | 13 years |
| Messenger | 13 years |
| 13 years | |
| Oculus | 13 years |
| Facebook Dating | 18 years |
As shown in the table, Facebook Dating has a higher minimum age of 18 years old. All other core Facebook-owned services share the same 13 year age requirement.
Verification of age requirements
When you create a Facebook account, you must enter your date of birth which indicates your age. However, Facebook does not actively verify people’s age during the sign-up process.
If Facebook suspects a particular account may belong to someone under 13 years old, they may take steps to verify the person’s age. This can include:
- Asking the user to provide official documentation to confirm their age.
- Requiring parental consent for underage use.
- Limiting account functionality until age is verified.
Facebook states that it is the responsibility of users or their parents to make sure they meet the minimum age requirements. The company tries to identify and remove underage accounts when they can.
Facebook’s safety features for young teens
For users between 13-17 years old, Facebook provides some additional safety features and privacy settings. These are designed to protect younger teens on the platform.
Some of the protections for 13-17 year old Facebook users include:
- Default privacy settings are set to Friends only, rather than Public.
- Limit ad targeting based on age, interests or location.
- Block messages from unknown adults.
- Limit how much advertisers can target based on their activity on other apps and websites.
Younger users may also see some differences in content recommendations in their News Feed. Facebook tries to balance safety with allowing teenage users to connect online.
Responsible use for teenagers
Once a child reaches 13 years old, they can sign up for a Facebook account without parental consent. However, parents are encouraged to have open conversations about responsible social media use.
Here are some tips for parents with teenagers on Facebook:
- Discuss appropriate privacy settings and behavior expectations.
- Go over the Facebook terms of service and community standards.
- Monitor their activities and who they are connecting with.
- Set screen time limits if needed.
- Watch for signs of problems like bullying or depression.
While 13 year olds can use Facebook, they may still need guidance about how to interact responsibly online. Parental involvement helps promote positive experiences.
Facebook use for schools
Facebook can be used in schools subject to some restrictions. Here are the Facebook rules regarding education use:
- K-12 schools cannot create Pages on Facebook.
- Class groups on Facebook must be private with a teacher as member.
- Educators cannot assign required Facebook use to students under 13.
- School-related online activity should use education apps like Classroom.
Teachers may personally use Facebook and participate in closed class groups. But Facebook aims to limit its direct adoption in K-12 school curriculum, instead favoring their dedicated education tools.
Age requirements for other social media
While Facebook requires users to be 13 years or older, other popular social media platforms have different minimum age requirements:
| Social Media | Minimum Age |
|---|---|
| 13 years | |
| 13 years | |
| Snapchat | 13 years |
| TikTok | 13 years |
| 13 years | |
| YouTube | 13 years with parental consent |
| 16 years |
As the table shows, 13 years is a common baseline age for social media. But some services like WhatsApp require users to be even older. Parental oversight is recommended for teenagers on any social platform.
Conclusion
In summary, the minimum age to use Facebook in Australia is 13 years old. This is based on Facebook’s global age policy aligned with COPPA requirements in the United States.
Children under 13 cannot sign up for their own Facebook account. Teenagers between 13-17 have access with certain safety protections enabled. Parents are advised to monitor their minor children’s social media activities.
Facebook aims to balance user safety, legal obligations, and access for teenagers to connect online. The 13 year minimum age is their attempt at striking that balance in Australia and around the world.