Overview
- The Empire Family, which reports more than six million followers across platforms, has left Perth for London so 14‑year‑old Charli can keep posting.
- Australia’s Online Safety Amendment, passed in 2024 under Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s government, is scheduled to take effect in December 2025.
- The law compels platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and X to block users under 16 or face penalties of up to A$50 million.
- Implementation described in coverage includes deactivating existing accounts held by under‑16s and preventing creation of new ones once the rules start.
- Officials frame the measure as protecting children from cyberbullying, addiction and mental‑health harms, while critics question digital freedoms and technical enforceability, with experts warning about exploitation risks in child influencing.