Australia is poised to implement a groundbreaking law banning children under 16 from accessing major social media platforms, effective from December 10, 2025. The controversial legislation has sparked intense debate among parents, tech giants, and digital rights groups. The government argues the ban is urgently needed to protect children from serious online harms. A recent official review found 96% of Australian 10–15-year-olds use social media, with 70% exposed to harmful content—including violent material, misogyny, eating-disorder promotion, and self-harm or suicide encouragement. One in seven reported grooming attempts, and over half experienced cyberbullying.
Affected platforms
The ban currently covers: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Threads, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, Reddit, Kick, and Twitch. More platforms could be added if they enable social interaction, user-generated content, and direct messaging. Exemptions include gaming services (e.g., Roblox, Discord), YouTube Kids, WhatsApp, and educational tools like Google Classroom.
How enforcement will work
Parents and children face no direct penalties, but companies could be fined up to A$49.5 million for systemic or repeated failures. Platforms must take “reasonable steps” to block underage users and close existing minor accounts. Exactly what counts as “reasonable” remains undefined, though the government is pushing for advanced age-verification methods such as facial recognition, video selfies, voice analysis, government ID, or behavioural profiling. Simple self-declaration of age or parental consent will not suffice.
Meta has already said it will start deactivating suspected teen accounts from December 4, offering video-selfie or ID appeals for those removed in error. Most other platforms have stayed quiet on their compliance plans.
Will it actually work?
Opinions are sharply divided. Critics highlight that current age-estimation tech is inaccurate (especially for 13–15-year-olds), privacy-invasive, and potentially discriminatory. Many fear determined teens will simply use VPNs, fake IDs, or migrate to unregulated apps, gaming platforms, dating sites, or AI chatbots that fall outside the ban’s scope.
Supporters, especially many parents, argue the risks of addictive, algorithm-driven platforms outweigh these concerns and applaud the government for finally acting.
Privacy backlash
Requiring millions of minors to hand over biometric data or IDs has alarmed privacy advocates, particularly after Australia’s recent major data breaches. The law mandates that verification data be deleted immediately after use and never repurposed, with heavy penalties for misuse, and requires platforms to offer non-ID options.
Tech industry resistance
Most targeted companies have condemned the ban as unworkable, easy to evade, and likely to drive teens into darker corners of the internet. Some (including YouTube and Snapchat) dispute even being classified as “social media.” Google is reportedly weighing a legal challenge to YouTube’s inclusion.
A global precedent
With France, Denmark, Norway, and parts of the EU exploring similar age bans, Australia’s experiment will be watched closely worldwide. Its successes, and inevitable shortcomings, could heavily influence how governments regulate children’s access to social media for years to come.
