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40m ago

Australia Enforces World-First Ban on Social Media Accounts for Under-16s

Regulators will issue data demands to ten platforms, with an initial compliance update due before Christmas.

Polls show the ban is 'wildly popular with parents' but 'far less popular with children'
Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks during an official function to mark the start of Australia's social media reform at Kirrilbilli House in Sydney on December 10, 2025.
Annie Wang, 14, poses after an interview discussing Australia’s social media ban for users under 16, which is scheduled to take effect on December 10, in Sydney, Australia, November 22, 2025.
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Overview

  • Australia’s law took effect Wednesday, requiring major platforms to block users under 16 or face penalties of up to A$49.5 million.
  • eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant will send formal information notices Thursday seeking details on age checks and account removals to set a compliance baseline.
  • Platforms have begun deactivations, with more than 200,000 TikTok accounts removed; X confirmed it will comply, and companies plan age-inference, selfie estimation and optional ID checks.
  • Day-one enforcement was uneven, with reports of some under‑16s still able to register and others using workarounds such as VPNs, makeup and help from family members.
  • The rules cover Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat, X, Reddit, Twitch, Kick and Threads, exclude services like WhatsApp and email, and have prompted legal challenges and international scrutiny.