Australia Bans Social Media for Under-16s Starting Dec 10

Australia will implement the world’s first nationwide social media ban for children under 16 years old on December 10, 2025. The legislation targets major platforms including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, X, YouTube, Reddit, Threads, Kick, and Twitch. Meta began deactivating accounts on December 4, affecting approximately 500,000 users across Facebook and Instagram alone.

The ban prohibits under-16s from creating new accounts and requires existing accounts to be deactivated. Companies face fines up to 49.5 million Australian dollars for serious or repeated violations. The responsibility falls entirely on social media platforms rather than children or parents.

The Australian government commissioned research showing that 96 percent of children aged 10 to 15 use social media. The study found seven out of ten had encountered harmful content including violence, material promoting eating disorders, and cyberbullying. More than half reported experiencing cyberbullying, while one in seven encountered grooming behavior from adults or older children.

Social media companies must implement age verification technologies to comply with the law. Acceptable methods include government identification documents, facial recognition, voice recognition, or age inference systems that analyze online behavior patterns. Platforms cannot rely on self-certification by users or parental consent alone.

Meta announced it will preserve digital content for affected users and restore access when they turn 16. The company began notifying users in November about upcoming account closures and provided appeal mechanisms for incorrectly identified accounts. Threads users will also lose access since the platform requires an Instagram account.

Most affected platforms have confirmed compliance with the new law, though X and Reddit have not publicly responded. YouTube Kids, Google Classroom, and WhatsApp remain exempt as they do not meet the government’s criteria for social media platforms. The criteria focus on whether a platform’s primary purpose enables social interaction between multiple users and allows content posting.

The Australian government acknowledges the ban will not achieve perfect enforcement immediately. Communications Minister Anika Wells described the measure as a treatment plan rather than a cure, emphasizing ongoing adaptation to changing technology. The eSafety Commissioner will adopt a graduated enforcement approach, prioritizing platforms with the highest proportion of underage users.

Several countries are monitoring Australia’s implementation closely. Denmark has announced plans for a similar ban targeting under-15s, while Norway is considering comparable legislation. France is examining recommendations for an under-15 ban with additional restrictions for older teenagers. Spain has drafted legislation requiring parental authorization for under-16s. The United Kingdom introduced safety rules in July 2025 requiring platforms to protect young users from harmful content or face substantial penalties.

Critics have raised concerns about the ban’s effectiveness and scope. Some worry that age verification technology may incorrectly block adults while missing underage users. Government research found facial assessment technology performs least reliably for teenagers. Questions persist about whether young users will circumvent the ban using virtual private networks to hide their locations or create fake profiles.

The limited scope has drawn criticism as well. Dating websites, gaming platforms, and artificial intelligence chatbots remain excluded from the ban despite potential risks. Some experts argue that educational approaches teaching children to navigate social media safely would prove more effective than blanket restrictions.

Data privacy concerns have emerged regarding the collection and storage of personal information for age verification. Australia has experienced several high-profile data breaches in recent years. The government maintains that strong protections exist in the legislation, requiring that personal data be used solely for age verification and subsequently destroyed, with serious penalties for breaches.