Australia’s Nationwide Ban on Social Media for Under-16s Takes Effect

Australia has become the first country in the world to impose a comprehensive ban on social media use by individuals under 16. The law — effective from December 10, 2025 — requires major platforms to block or deactivate all accounts belonging to users under 16.

Under the new regulation, platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, X (formerly Twitter), Reddit, Threads, Twitch and Kick must ensure under-16 users cannot create or maintain accounts. Failure to comply could result in penalties of up to AUD 49.5 million (≈ USD 33 million).

The law, passed as the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024, amends existing regulations to define “age-restricted social media platforms” and mandates that these services take “reasonable steps” to verify user age.

Government’s Rationale: Protecting Young Minds

The government says the ban is aimed at safeguarding children from online risks — such as cyberbullying, harmful content, privacy threats, and addictive behaviour — which are considered particularly damaging during early teenage years.

Supporters of the law include child-safety advocates and mental-health experts, who argue that a strict minimum age limit — comparable to age restrictions on alcohol or driving — is needed to protect minors who may not yet have the emotional or cognitive maturity to navigate social media safely.

Rollout, Compliance and Pushback

In the days leading up to enforcement, some major platforms began preliminary removals of underage accounts. For instance, accounts of users aged 13–15 in Australia have reportedly been deactivated already by some services.

The ban has drawn mixed reactions. While many parents and child-safety groups have welcomed the measure, free-speech organisations, digital rights advocates and some tech companies have warned that the law may suppress legitimate expression, limit teenage access to online communities, and prove difficult to enforce reliably.

Legal challenges are already underway. A group named Digital Freedom Project has announced plans to challenge the law in Australia’s High Court, arguing that it violates constitutional protections for political communication and individual rights.