Australia to Enforce Social Media Ban for Children Under 16

Sat Nov 22 2025 07:06:56 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Effective December 10, Australia will implement a world-first policy prohibiting social media accounts for children under 16, aimed at protecting youth from online harms.

The Australian government is set to enforce a groundbreaking ban on social media usage for children under 16 starting December 10. This policy mandates social media companies to ensure minors cannot create or maintain accounts, responding to increasing concerns over harmful content and behaviors children face online. The move has garnered support from parents but raises questions about enforcement and possible alternatives for tech-savvy youth.

From December 10, social media companies will be required to implement measures ensuring that users under 16 in Australia cannot create accounts and must deactivate or remove existing ones. This unprecedented policy is intended to combat the pressures and risks children face online, including exposure to harmful content and cyberbullying.

A government study revealed that 96% of children aged 10-15 engage with social media, with many encountering damaging material. The list of platforms affected includes Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and others, with gaming platforms potentially in the mix as well.

Enforcement will be the responsibility of social media companies, which could face significant fines for non-compliance. The government's expectation is that these companies employ various age assurance technologies to uphold the ban, including ID checks and advanced recognition systems.

However, concerns persist about the ban's effectiveness, potential privacy issues, and its impact on children's social connections. Although framed as a necessary step to safeguard youth online, experts argue that educating children in digital literacy may offer a better solution than outright bans.

With many eyes on this world-first policy, Australia positions itself at the forefront of a debate on children's online safety, leaving many to wonder how it will unfold in practice and whether it will spark similar measures in other nations.