Australia Bans Under-16s From Social Media

Australia has imposed a sweeping ban preventing children under 16 from accessing social media, in what the government called a world-first effort to protect young people from the dangers of online platforms.

The new law, which came into force on Tuesday, made it illegal for tech companies to allow users under 16 on their platforms. Violators face fines of up to AUS$49.5 million (US$33 million) if they fail to remove or block underage Australian users.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the measure as necessary to counter the harmful influence of social media on children’s mental health and safety.

“Too often, social media isn’t social at all,” Albanese said ahead of the rollout. “Instead, it’s used as a weapon for bullies, a platform for peer pressure, a driver of anxiety, a vehicle for scammers and, worst of all, a tool for online predators.”

The ban applied to major platforms including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, Reddit, Threads, X, and streaming services Kick and Twitch. These companies are now required to block Australian users under 16 and verify the age of new sign-ups through artificial intelligence or government ID.

Hundreds of thousands of teenagers are expected to find themselves locked out of their favorite apps overnight.

“I don’t think the government really knows what they’re doing, and I don’t think it’s going to have any impact on children of Australia,” said 15-year-old Layton Lewis before the restrictions took effect.

Parents and campaigners have largely welcomed the decision. Mia Bannister, whose teenage son Ollie took his own life after being bullied online, said the move was long overdue.

“I’m sick of the social media giants shirking responsibility,” she told AFP. “The problem is we hand them a phone, and we hand them the greatest weapon we could hand them.”

Another parent, Dany Elachi, a father of five, described the ban as a necessary “line in the sand.”

“We need to err on the side of caution before putting anything addictive in the hands of children,” he said.

Tech companies condemned the laws as excessive and impractical. YouTube labelled the rules “rushed,” warning they could drive young users to riskier, unregulated online spaces.

“At YouTube, we believe in protecting kids in the digital world, not from the digital world,” the company said in a statement.

Online forum Reddit declined to confirm reports it plans to challenge the law in Australia’s High Court, while a local internet rights group has already launched a campaign to reinstate access for teens.

Australia’s crackdown is being closely watched by governments worldwide. New Zealand and Malaysia are reportedly considering similar restrictions, while other nations are studying the impact of the ban before taking action.

Teenagers abroad have also weighed in. Mitchelle Okinedo, a 15-year-old student from Nigeria, said, “Students nowadays are really distracted.”
But Santiago Ramirez Rojas, 16, from Mexico City, argued that “social media today is very important for expressing yourself, no matter how old you are.”

Some apps like Roblox, Pinterest, and WhatsApp are currently exempt, though the government has signaled that the blacklist could expand.

Despite concerns, officials said the ban is a necessary first step in curbing the influence of “predatory algorithms” and reclaiming the mental health of young Australians.