U.S. Lawmaker Urges Look at Australia’s Social Media Ban for Children as Blueprint for American Policy
Long Beach official cites Australia’s under-16 social media restrictions amid rising domestic debate on youth online safety
A prominent lawmaker from Long Beach has urged U.S. policymakers to closely study Australia’s world-leading social media ban for children under sixteen as part of a growing domestic conversation about regulating youth access to digital platforms.
Australia’s Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act, which came into force on December tenth 2025, requires major platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, X, YouTube and Reddit to block users under sixteen from creating or maintaining accounts, and imposes penalties of up to forty-nine point five million Australian dollars for systemic non-compliance.
The Long Beach lawmaker, speaking at a recent public forum on child safety and digital wellbeing, characterised the Australian model as a potential template for U.S. reforms.
Advocates for such regulation in the United States argue that digital platforms’ addictive design and algorithm-driven content can have adverse effects on children’s mental health, concentration and social development.
Although there is no federal age-specific ban in the U.S., proposals such as the “Kids Off Social Media Act” in the U.S. Senate would prohibit children under thirteen from accessing many social platforms and restrict algorithmic recommendation systems for minors under seventeen.
Australia’s landmark legislation has already triggered widespread industry responses, with Meta deactivating more than five hundred thousand accounts it believed belonged to under-sixteen users across Facebook, Instagram and Threads in early enforcement efforts.
The policy has also revealed implementation challenges, with companies and regulators grappling with effective age verification and reports that some teens are migrating to smaller or less regulated apps.
Supporters of Australia’s approach view it as a bold step in giving families and communities greater control over children’s online experiences and reducing exposure to harmful content.
Critics, however, warn that absolute bans risk driving children toward unmonitored corners of the internet and complicating educational engagement online.
The mixed outcomes emerging from Australia’s experience are likely to shape how U.S. lawmakers refine their own proposals on digital safety for young people.
The Long Beach official’s advocacy underscores the intensifying interest in crafting policy in the United States that addresses both the potential harms and benefits of children’s interaction with social media platforms.
Australia’s Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act, which came into force on December tenth 2025, requires major platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, X, YouTube and Reddit to block users under sixteen from creating or maintaining accounts, and imposes penalties of up to forty-nine point five million Australian dollars for systemic non-compliance.
The Long Beach lawmaker, speaking at a recent public forum on child safety and digital wellbeing, characterised the Australian model as a potential template for U.S. reforms.
Advocates for such regulation in the United States argue that digital platforms’ addictive design and algorithm-driven content can have adverse effects on children’s mental health, concentration and social development.
Although there is no federal age-specific ban in the U.S., proposals such as the “Kids Off Social Media Act” in the U.S. Senate would prohibit children under thirteen from accessing many social platforms and restrict algorithmic recommendation systems for minors under seventeen.
Australia’s landmark legislation has already triggered widespread industry responses, with Meta deactivating more than five hundred thousand accounts it believed belonged to under-sixteen users across Facebook, Instagram and Threads in early enforcement efforts.
The policy has also revealed implementation challenges, with companies and regulators grappling with effective age verification and reports that some teens are migrating to smaller or less regulated apps.
Supporters of Australia’s approach view it as a bold step in giving families and communities greater control over children’s online experiences and reducing exposure to harmful content.
Critics, however, warn that absolute bans risk driving children toward unmonitored corners of the internet and complicating educational engagement online.
The mixed outcomes emerging from Australia’s experience are likely to shape how U.S. lawmakers refine their own proposals on digital safety for young people.
The Long Beach official’s advocacy underscores the intensifying interest in crafting policy in the United States that addresses both the potential harms and benefits of children’s interaction with social media platforms.
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