Australia has begun enforcing a world-first law that bans children under the age of 16 from using major social media platforms, marking a significant shift in how governments regulate online access for young users.
The restrictions took effect at midnight local time early Thursday, requiring platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, YouTube, X and others to block under-16 users from holding accounts or creating new ones. Companies that fail to comply face fines that can reach into the tens of millions of Australian dollars.
Under the new law, responsibility for enforcement falls on the platforms themselves, not on parents or children. Companies are expected to implement age-verification systems and remove existing accounts held by users below the minimum age threshold.
Australian officials say the move is designed to protect children from online harm, including exposure to harmful content and addictive social media behaviors. Technology companies, however, have raised concerns about implementation challenges, privacy implications, and the effectiveness of age-verification technologies.
The ban is already drawing global attention, with policymakers in Europe, North America and Asia closely watching how the law is enforced and whether it withstands legal and technical scrutiny. Australia’s decision places it at the center of a growing international debate over where responsibility lies for safeguarding children online.
——————
Related stories:
Julie Inman Grant, The Regulator Reshaping Teen Social Media in Australia
Australia Locks Under-16s Out of Social Media — and Yes, That Now Includes YouTube
