Australia's ban on under-16 social media users takes effect, as Meta, YouTube, and others remove users; platforms that don't comply risk up to AU$49.5M in fines

Accounts held by users under 16 must be removed on apps that include TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, Snapchat, Reddit, Kick, Twitch and Threads under ban

The Guardian 2025-12-10 Josh Taylor

Context & Ripple Effects

Australia moved from a proposed restriction on under-16 accounts to Senate passage despite concerns from lawmakers and platforms, culminating in the rule's launch. Meta and TikTok had already signaled they would comply while questioning enforceability, making this the operational test rather than merely a policy announcement.

The measure places a common compliance obligation on services with very different products and user bases. Its penalty regime turns age-based access control into a material regulatory issue for the platforms covered.

First-order effects

Meta, YouTube, TikTok and the other named services must remove or block accounts identified as belonging to Australians under 16, immediately reducing access for affected users.
Platforms now face potential fines of up to AU$49.5 million for failing to comply, elevating account-age enforcement from a product-policy choice to a legal requirement.

Second-order effects

The covered services will need to apply age-assurance and account-removal processes consistently enough to defend compliance, while handling the enforcement difficulty they had previously flagged.
The ban creates different user-access rules in Australia across competing social platforms, putting pressure on each to balance regulatory compliance with friction for legitimate users.

Third-order effects

If enforcement proves durable, Australia could become a test case for access-control rules that make platforms more accountable for who can use their services, rather than relying on stated minimum-age policies.
The policy's longer-term influence will depend on whether regulators can verify platform compliance without producing the unintended consequences raised in earlier coverage.

The trend: This is part of a broader shift toward governments requiring platforms to actively enforce age-based access restrictions, with compliance liability attached.

Discussion

@jonhaidt Jonathan Haidt on x
It's happening. Australia is freeing kids under 16 from the social media trap, where all kids feel they must be on it because.... all other kids are on it. Praise to @PMalinauskasMP, the premier of South Australia, who got it started, and to PM @AlboMP, who took in national.
@votelewko Daniel on x
@AlboMP Children everywhere say “Thank you daddy”. Especially on the apps the government doesn't know about.
@albomp Anthony Albanese on x
Today, we have officially banned social media accounts for under 16s. [video]
@matt_camenzuli Matthew Camenzuli on x
In a couple of hours, Australia will implement law that leads the world in government overreach. They will treat parents like children, by banning under-16's from a moving list of websites, without any parental override. The Australian government is an embarrassment to us all. [i…
@omarsbigsister Alpha on x
Wow it's almost like age verification doesn't work, is a privacy killing nightmare, doesn't protect kids, and is a thinly veiled excuse for the government to keep track of what everyone is posting on the internet for surveillance.
@bradwilcoxifs Brad Wilcox on x
It's happening. In Australia. It needs to happen... In America. [image]
@deves_katherine Katherine Deves Morgan on x
@PMalinauskasMP They are just migrating to other platforms with less oversight, regulation & safety features
@hackingbutlegal Jackie Singh on x
Despite my concerns about knock-on effects of isolation etc. for LGBTQ+ and other at-risk youth, I support Australia's ban on social media for children under 16 years old. Tech platforms have shown an inability to protect our children. Legislators must stop the gap.
@yacinemtb Kache on x
Good. Fucking amazing. How can I get this for Canada? I need this for Canada immediately Fuck Americans tech companies so bad. I don't want them here. I dont want to have to constantly worry about my kid getting zapped. Ban them here too
@theage @theage on x
eSafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant has flagged some of the early issues with the rollout, saying it was always going to be messy. Many teens have reported still having access to their accounts. Follow all the action live: https://www.theage.com.au/... [video]
@katykray73 Katy on x
Is Australia the first domino to fall? I believe they're currently rolling out this social media ban gradually, things will heat up on December 27th, when the mandatory age verification for searches is set to be implemented. A digital straight jacket will be placed on all of [vid…
@marcushouse @marcushouse on x
@AlboMP No you haven't. You've just forced them into a more dangerous set of apps and platforms that you are not watching. Good luck playing wack-a-mole. The right thing to do would have been to force the platforms to put in much better protections.
@jmart Jonathan Martin on x
“Rahm Emanuel, who is mulling a presidential run, is pushing for the United States to follow Australia's lead in banning children under 16 from most social media.” https://www.politico.com/...
@jimduncanrva Jim Duncan on x
@ABC Social media involves every type of information sharing - including news, current events, family and friends sharing life events. It's far more than the sinister cultural phenomena it's portrayed as
@votelewko Daniel on x
@PMalinauskasMP If only there were some form of digital technology that would mean you don't need to catch a flight to discuss digital technology.
@pmalinauskasmp Peter Malinauskas on x
We want more kids doing activities like these👇 And off their phones. So there's more time interacting with their peers and less addictive doomscrolling. It's why the social media ban for under 16s will come into effect tomorrow. We've already removed phones in public schools -…
@bencarrollmp Ben Carroll on x
Today's the day, and the world is watching. Well done Australia. Phone free-classrooms, screen limits, and now social media bans. Our most important resource is our children and we must do everything to protect and invest in them.
@suayrez Suarez on x
@PopBase Swear governments have no idea that Parental Controls already exists... Just guide parents on how to set it up and if there is concern it's easy for kids to bypass just add multiple steps to it
@drdemography Dr Liz Allen on x
Australia's social media ban comes out of the cult of self-help books. Dodgy research and rich false gods preaching about the ills of contemporary society. Yet structural issues aren't addressed. Australia, this is embarrassing. https://www.theguardian.com/ ...
@reuters @reuters on x
The regulator overseeing Australia's world-first teenage social media ban rejected the ‘technological exceptionalism’ championed by mostly US-based platforms and said a groundswell of American parents wanted similar measures https://www.reuters.com/...
@kobiethatcher Kobie Thatcher on x
🇦🇺 Today is the first day of Australia's under-16s social media ban. Platforms including X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Reddit, and others listed must prevent users under 16 from having an account or face fines up to $49.5m. It's not the government's job to parent.
@claesdevreese Claes de Vreese on bluesky
It December 10 in Australia. — And it's illegal for under 16 year olds to log into Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, Twitch, X, YouTube, Kick and Reddit. — www.theguardian.com/australia- ne...
@rlstollar R.L. Stollar on bluesky
This violation of children's rights hurts my heart. 😥💔
@hammancheez @hammancheez on bluesky
“Teens on Snapchat affected by the ban had been publicly sharing their mobile numbers in their profiles ahead of their accounts being shut down.” — Great job australia v safe no notes
@jan6risingvoice Craig Sicknick on bluesky
This is likely a very good thing for society. It will never happen in the U.S. though. www.theguardian.com/australia- ne...
@trance Emma Evans on bluesky
This seems like a good idea, but there should also be penalties for parents who help their children circumvent the ban, otherwise as the article states...children will be socially left out and when you're a teen that's awful.
@judah-grunstein Judah Grunstein on bluesky
If you notice an uptick in Six Seven content this week, now you'll know why. — (Also, once you see Six Seven, you can't unsee it.)
@bsky.app @bsky.app on bluesky
v1.111 is live today! — We've upgraded our Age Assurance system to comply with upcoming laws in Australia and other regions, and to restore access to people over 18 in Mississippi. — Plus, we fixed some bugs and laid the groundwork for improved “who to follow” suggestions in …
r/IfBooksCouldKill r on reddit
Australia's world-first social media ban begins as millions of children and teens lose access to accounts
r/austechnology r on reddit
Millions of children and teens lose access to accounts as Australia's world-first social media ban begins
r/news r on reddit
Millions of children and teens lose access to accounts as Australia's world-first social media ban begins
r/AustralianPolitics r on reddit
Australia's world-first social media ban begins as millions of children and teens lose access to accounts
r/stupidpol r on reddit
Millions of children and teens lose access to accounts as Australia's world-first social media ban begins
r/InternationalNews r on reddit
Millions of Australian children just lost access to social media
r/Global_News_Hub r on reddit
Millions of Australian children just lost access to social media
r/worldnews r on reddit
Millions of children and teens lose access to accounts as Australia's world-first social media ban begins
r/australia r on reddit
Millions of children and teens lose access to accounts as Australia's world-first social media ban begins
@mickamiousg @mickamiousg on x
Well the U16 social media ban is a complete failure already with teens already finding loop holes Australia was apparently setting a ‘World Standard’ and yet that World Standard is already collapsing. [video]
@craigkellyafee @craigkellyafee on x
Cry me a river. She's paid $400K + Deep down she lusts for the power of censorship.
@ausvstheagenda @ausvstheagenda on x
eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant says she has had a “shit” time trying to implement the social media ban while also balancing her personal life. [video]
r/RedditSafety r on reddit
Expanding Age Assurance to Australia
r/AustralianPolitics r on reddit
Under-16s who slipped through cracks of social media ban will be ‘booted off in time’, eSafety commissioner says | Social media ban
@asubparusername @asubparusername on x
discord exempt lmao
@kaptinyap Kieran Yap on x
Every primary school teacher I know is aware of the threat Roblox poses, it's a weird omission that makes me suspicious about the true motives of this.
@bushidotoken Will on x
By leaving YouTube, Discord, GitHub, Roblox, and Steam I can't help but think this is a speed-run to creating a generation of teenage cybercriminals in Australia, we know how these things start...
@sbsnews @sbsnews on x
The federal government's long social media ban for children under 16 is now in effect. Here are are the platforms and apps that children can and cannot access in Australia from today. Keep up to date with today's headlines: https://www.sbs.com.au/news [image]
@stupidtechtakes @stupidtechtakes on x
i don't agree with the law but why isn't DISCORD banned???
@wonderbreadmma @wonderbreadmma on x
@SBSNews Roblox and Discord are some of the worst how did they get exempt 😭
@pollyporridge Polly on x
I still can't believe Roblox got a special exemption

Chronicles