Australia’s federal government has implemented a world-leading law banning children under the age of sixteen from holding accounts on major social media platforms, triggering renewed policy debate in the United States including among lawmakers and civic commentators in Missouri.

The legislation, enacted through the Online Safety Amendment, requires designated platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Reddit, X, YouTube, Threads and others to take “reasonable steps” to prevent under-sixteens from maintaining or creating accounts or face fines, as Canberra aims to reduce online harms including bullying, anxiety and predatory content exposure.

The measure took effect on December tenth, 2025, and has already led to significant account deactivations and global interest in Australia’s approach to child digital safety.

Australia’s Prime Minister has described the policy as a source of national pride and an initiative to support families and protect youth wellbeing in the digital era.

The policy has attracted vigorous public discussion, with supporters praising its ambition to safeguard children’s mental health and critics raising concerns about privacy, age verification practices and the rights of young people to participate in online discourse.

Privacy advocates have pointed to cybersecurity risks associated with collecting sensitive age-verification data, while others warn that technically savvy minors may circumvent restrictions by migrating to platforms not yet subject to the law or using methods such as virtual private networks.

Legal challenges have also emerged in Australia, with opponents arguing the ban could impinge on constitutional freedoms of communication, even as state governments have pledged to defend the measures in court.

The global reaction has been broad: some policymakers in Europe and Asia have expressed interest in similar ideas, while commentators in the United States are considering how aspects of Australia’s policy could inform domestic discussions on social media regulation.

In Missouri, for example, debates over digital governance have been ongoing, with the state having earlier pursued rules aimed at curbing perceived social media censorship and giving users greater control over content moderation practices.

Missouri’s social media age verification legislative efforts have also entered state policy discussions, underscoring a broader American conversation about the balance between protecting young people online and preserving free expression.

These U.S. debates reflect deep constitutional considerations such as those highlighted in landmark legal cases touching on government engagement with social media platforms, emphasizing the complex interplay between safety, rights, and digital innovation.

Australia’s policy experiment may serve as a catalyst for renewed policy evaluation in states like Missouri and at the federal level, as lawmakers assess how best to address the challenges of online engagement for youth without compromising fundamental freedoms or privacy.