Australia Becomes First Country to Ban Social Media Access for Under-16s

Australia will enforce a nationwide ban preventing children under 16 from using major social media platforms, with the law taking effect on Wednesday as part of a sweeping effort to strengthen online safety for minors.

The measure, passed by Parliament last year, blocks young users from creating or maintaining accounts on platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and Reddit. Companies that fail to uphold the new age requirement could face fines of up to A$50 million (US$33 million).

According to the federal government, social media firms will be obligated to take “reasonable steps” from December 10, 2025, to detect and remove underage accounts. Officials described the ban as a safeguard for children “at a critical stage of their development.”

Under the rules, platforms must use a mix of indicators — including account activity, viewing behavior, profile images and other data — to identify minors. They are also required to prevent children from bypassing restrictions by using fake identification, artificial intelligence–generated photos, deepfakes or VPNs.

Tech Companies Raise Concerns

The new law has drawn strong criticism from several tech companies, which argue that the requirements are unclear and difficult to enforce. TikTok and Meta said they intend to comply but warned that the legislation presents significant implementation challenges. Meta has already begun closing underage accounts ahead of the enforcement date.

Snapchat and other firms have cautioned that the ban may drive young people toward less-regulated parts of the internet. Reddit issued one of the harshest reactions, calling the legislation “arbitrary” and legally unsound.

Global Push for Stricter Age Rules

Australia’s move comes as other countries consider similar restrictions. In November, the European Parliament backed a non-binding proposal to set a minimum age of 16 for social media access across the EU. Denmark has suggested a cutoff of 15, and several EU states — including France, Spain, Italy, Denmark and Greece — are jointly trialing a digital age-verification system. Malaysia plans to prohibit social media use for those under 16 starting in 2026.

Last week, Russia banned the gaming platform Roblox, which is popular among children, saying it contained extremist and LGBTQ-related content.

Growing Legal Pressure on Social Platforms

The debate over children’s online safety has intensified worldwide. In the United States, Meta is facing multiple lawsuits accusing the company of failing to remove harmful content involving minors, including grooming attempts, self-harm material and child sexual abuse.