Australia is set to become the first country to enforce a comprehensive ban on social media use by individuals under 16 from December 10, 2025. Under the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024, major platforms including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, X (formerly Twitter), Reddit, Twitch, Kick and Threads must take “reasonable steps” to prevent children under 16 from creating or keeping accounts.

If they fail to comply, they face fines of up to A$49.5 million (roughly USD 33 million).

The decision follows broad parliamentary support in 2024 and stems from growing concern over the social and mental-health risks to young users, including exposure to harmful content, cyberbullying and addictive design features.

Government and regulatory authorities argue that a firm minimum-age rule is necessary to safeguard under-16s during a critical period of emotional and cognitive development.

The ban applies irrespective of parental consent — under-16s will simply not be allowed to hold accounts on the specified platforms.

As the countdown to December 10 approaches, enforcement actions have already begun.

Parent company Meta Platforms has begun deactivating accounts belonging to Australian users aged 13–15, and will block new account sign-ups for under-16s.

For affected users, content can be downloaded and will be restored once they reach 16. Other platforms are expected to follow suit in compliance with the law.

The independent regulator eSafety Commissioner will oversee compliance and require platforms to submit monthly reports detailing account removals.

The law has sparked both international attention and domestic debate.

Supporters, including some psychologists and child-safety advocates, argue the approach is comparable to other age restrictions — such as for alcohol or driving — and offers a necessary protection for youth.

Critics, including civil-liberties organisations and some academics, warn the ban may be overly blunt, risk isolating teenagers, and push them toward less regulated or more dangerous fringe online spaces.

Moreover, enforcement hinges on platforms’ ability to implement effective age-verification — which experts concede is technologically challenging and imperfect.

Some worry that motivated teens may find workarounds using shared accounts or VPNs.

Legal opposition has also emerged.

A group called Digital Freedom Project — together with two 15-year-old Australians named as representative plaintiffs — has filed a challenge in the High Court of Australia, arguing the ban infringes the constitutionally-protected right to freedom of political communication.

They contend that social media remains a critical forum for young people’s civic engagement, and that parental responsibility — rather than blanket government restriction — should govern youth internet use.

With the law’s implementation days away, Australia now stands as a real-world test case of whether a sweeping age-restriction can meaningfully improve online safety for children — or whether it will see young people migrate to unregulated corners of the internet.