Handle claims in Australia

Instagram first: what holds up in Australia

Instagram comes first for most Australian requests. A trade mark registered with IP Australia is the strongest paper to hold, because Instagram’s intellectual property form asks for the mark, its owner and the goods or services it covers. A business name registered with ASIC is a different thing: it does not give trade mark rights, so on its own it rarely carries a claim. Australian law also recognises passing off and misleading conduct in trade, which can sit behind an impersonation report when a profile is trading on your name.

The four official routes are set out in the routes guide and compared on the routes comparison.

What to have ready in Australia

For a request from Australia the useful evidence is a registered trade mark on the IP Australia register, an ABN or company record that matches the name, or evidence that a profile is posing as you. The preparation checklist lists the rest: the exact handle, the profile it is for, and what ties the name to you.

Never send a password or a login code. Nobody who needs one is working through an official route. See claim scams.

TikTok and Snapchat from Australia

For TikTok and Snapchat the picture is narrower. TikTok says that in most instances it cannot reassign a username, and Snapchat treats usernames as first come, first served, so a claim on either rests on the trademark or infringement forms. Australia’s social media minimum age rules took effect on 10 December 2025 and cover all three platforms, which matters for who can hold the receiving account.

Handle limits for both are on the TikTok rules and Snapchat rules pages.

Local references for Australia

• Trade marks: IP Australia.
• Personal data: the Privacy Act 1988, with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner as the regulator.
• Consumer and advertising matters: the ACCC.
• Languages: English.
• Currency for the price: Australian dollar (AUD). The price is agreed in your chat or email before work starts.

These are reference points, not legal advice. A platform’s decision on a handle follows its own policy.

How a request from Australia usually runs

1. You send the handle you want and the profile it is for, on WhatsApp or email, and say you are in Australia.
2. We look at whether an official route fits the facts and tell you if it looks workable.
3. The price is agreed in chat before any work starts.
4. The request is filed with each platform’s process. The platform makes the final decision, and a claim that fails is covered by the refund policy.