Australia’s eSafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant has pushed back against Snap’s attempt to avoid the under-16s social media ban.
The Australian Financial Review reported that Snap executives last year proposed stripping social features from Snapchat for under-16s users to sidestep the ban.
Inman Grant told Guardian Australia the proposal was rejected after Snapchat was assessed as a social media platform under a “significant purpose” test.
Snap has argued it is primarily a messaging service rather than social media.
Inman Grant confirmed discussions took place around removing features such as maps, streaks and stories, but said she would not assess a hypothetical product.
She said parliament did not intend for young users to be redirected to a newly created, stripped-down service.
Snap this week said more than 415,000 Australian accounts had been locked or disabled since the ban began, while warning of legal and technological gaps that could undermine enforcement.
