Australia moves first with bold social media ban for under 16s

Children across Australia will wake up on Wednesday unable to log into their social media accounts, as the country becomes the first in the world to enforce a blanket ban on major platforms for anyone under the age of 16.

The new law, which targets 10 of the largest platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, X, Reddit, Twitch, Threads, and Kick, is being closely watched by governments worldwide. Its aim is simple but sweeping: shield young people from addictive algorithms, online predators, and digital bullying.

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According to CNN, most of the affected companies say they will comply by using age verification technology to find and suspend underage accounts. But several of them argue the rules will not actually make children safer.

Anthony Albanese, Australian Prime Minister says the reform is already having an impact because it has sparked national conversation inside families. “We have said very clearly that this will not be perfect, but it is the right thing to do for society to express its views, its judgment, about what is appropriate,” Albanese told ABC.

Under the law, platforms must show they have taken “reasonable steps” to deactivate accounts used by under-16s and prevent new ones from being created. Companies that fall short face fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars.

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The rollout is staggered across platforms. Meta began removing accounts for under-16s on Instagram, Facebook, and Threads on December 4. Users have been invited to download their content, which will be stored until they turn 16 and can reactivate their profiles.

Snapchat says underage users will have their accounts suspended for three years or until they turn 16. YouTube will automatically sign out all underage account holders on December 10. Their channels and uploads will be hidden but preserved. Children will still be able to watch videos without logging in.

TikTok plans to deactivate all underage accounts on December 10 using its own age detection system. “It does not matter which email was used or whose name is on the account,” the company said. It is also urging parents who think their children lied about their age to report those accounts.

Twitch will block new underage sign-ups from December 10, but will not deactivate existing under 16 accounts until January 9. The company did not explain the delay.

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Officials say the goal goes beyond cutting screen time. They want to see whether removing teenagers from social media improves their well-being. eSafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant told the Sydney Dialogue that authorities will track changes in sleep, reading habits, sports participation, and even antidepressant use. “We will be looking at everything from are kids sleeping more, are they interacting more?” she said.

A second list of platforms remains untouched for now. They include Discord, GitHub, Google Classroom, LEGO Play, Messenger, Pinterest, Roblox, Steam and Steam Chat, WhatsApp, and YouTube Kids.

Some families are expected to ignore the ban, and there are no penalties for doing so. But Canberra hopes the move will set a global benchmark and force technology giants to take responsibility for the digital spaces they design.

Faith Omoboye is a foreign affairs correspondent with background in History and International relations. Her work focuses on African politics, diplomacy, and global governance.

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