Overview
- The law took effect on December 10, making Australia the first country to impose a nationwide prohibition on social media accounts for people under 16.
- The statute bars accounts even with parental consent and requires platforms to take “reasonable steps” to prevent underage users from holding accounts.
- Noncompliance can draw penalties of up to AUD 49.5 million as operators assume practical responsibility for age verification.
- Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the measure as a reform that will change children’s lives, with backers citing harms linked to violence, suicide, and addictive short-form videos.
- Civil-liberties advocates question whether age checks will work at scale and warn of limits on young people’s expression, while Denmark plans under-15 restrictions from 2026 and the EU is examining similar curbs; Japan has no comparable legislative move.