Australia is now officially the first nation to ban social media access for youngsters under 16 from the 10th of December 2025. The ban prohibits access to popular platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.
Ten of the largest platforms were ordered to lock out users under 16 at midnight (1300 GMT Tuesday). If they don’t comply with the guidelines they could be subject to fines up to A$49.5 millions ($33 millions). The law has received a lot of criticism from companies in the tech industry and free-speech groups, but a lot of families and children’s safety groups claim it’s a necessary step.
The Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the move “a proud day” for Australian families. Albanese said that it was a sign governments can take action on the growing online threats.
“This is the day when Australian families are taking back power from big tech companies,” he said to ABC News. He also said that technology can be useful however it has to work within a framework that keeps individuals safe.
In a message video that is scheduled to be shown in the schools this week, Ms. Albanese encourages students to engage in activities like music, sports or even reading while the nation is about to begin the summer vacation.
This is the conclusion of an ongoing debate about the possibility of a country being able to restrict children’s access to social media. The internet is now a regular aspect of daily life. The world is now watching the results of this policy in the real world. Countries like Denmark, New Zealand and Malaysia have expressed interest in studying and possibly adopting similar rules.
Elon Musk’s X was the only one among the major platforms that complied. The company stated that it was doing so to comply with the law and added that accounts that did not meet the age requirements would be deleted immediately.
Australia anticipates that the list of platforms covered to evolve over time in line with where young users are moving. Companies are planning to utilize tools like age inference as well as selfie-based age estimation ID checks, and linked accounts with financial accounts to confirm the ages of users.
Although platforms claim they don’t make much money from younger users, they acknowledge that the ban will affect their future users. According to data from the government 86 percent of Australians between the ages of 8 and 15 were using social media prior to the ban.
A few teenagers have expressed concerns. A teenager of 14 Annie Wang said the ban might leave a few young people feeling disconnected from the community that they depend on for support or a common interest. The ban could benefit some users, but it could hinder those who use online communities to share their thoughts or connect with others.
