The eSafety Commissioner has confirmed the anonymous online message board 4chan will be exempt from the Federal Government’s under-16s social media ban, set to come into effect later this year.
Commissioner Julie Inman Grant told Senators earlier this week eSafety did not consider 4chan for the ban.
While the agency described the image-based board as one of the “darker sites on the web,” it said it has not formally assessed whether 4chan meets the criteria to comply with the new age restriction.
Under 16s ban
The Government’s ban on children under 16 using social media passed Parliament in November 2024, following a public campaign to protect young people’s mental health.
Social media companies, including Meta (Facebook and Instagram) and Snap Inc (Snapchat) could face fines of around $50 million if under-16s make an account on their platforms.
YouTube was initially exempt, but has since been included. Messaging apps and online gaming platforms won’t be covered by the ban.
What is 4chan?
4chan is an online forum that has hosted far-right and white supremacist content.
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The perpetrator of the 2019 Christchurch terrorist attack posted on 4chan in the years before he opened fire on a mosque.
Users are not required to register an account to post, and while the platform states users must be over 18, there is no formal system in place to monitor or enforce this rule.
eSafety Commissioner
During Senate Estimates on Thursday, the eSafety Commissioner said the agency has previously had “dealings” with 4chan.
eSafety recently investigated the site after receiving a complaint about ‘Class 1 material’ — content categorised as seriously harmful, including depictions of extreme violence, pro-terrorism material, or child sexual abuse.
The agency said the content was removed before a formal takedown notice needed to be issued.
Heidi Snell, who appeared at the Senate hearing alongside the Commissioner, said 4chan was not a priority when determining which services would fall under the under-16s social media ban.
“We’ve taken, initially, a risk-based approach to our assessment, so focusing on services with a significant presence in Australia and a large number of young users,” Snell said.
However, eSafety noted the site could be subject to future assessments, as the agency anticipates potential “user migrations” once the ban comes into effect.
