On Wednesday, December 10, 2025, Australia officially became the first nation to enforce a blanket ban on social media for children under 16. The landmark law, known as the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act, requires major platforms to block underage access or face staggering fines.
The ban specifically targets ten of the most popular platforms where “online social interaction” is a primary purpose. These include: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat, X (formerly Twitter), Reddit, Twitch, Threads, and Kick
Services like WhatsApp, Messenger Kids, Google Classroom, YouTube Kids, Discord, and gaming platforms like Roblox are currently exempt, though regulators have stated the list remains under constant review.
Unlike many other laws, this legislation does not penalize children or their parents. Instead, the legal and financial burden rests entirely on the tech companies.
- Fines: Platforms found failing to take “reasonable steps” to block under-16s face fines of up to A$49.5 million ($33 million).
- Verification Methods: Companies are experimenting with various “age assurance” technologies, including:
- Biometric Facial Estimation: Using AI to estimate age from a live video selfie.
- Behavioral Inference: Analyzing user patterns and data to predict age.
- ID Uploads: While permitted, the law mandates that platforms must offer an alternative to uploading government ID to protect privacy.
- Account Deactivations: On the first day alone, TikTok deactivated 200,000 accounts, while Snapchat and Meta have begun purging hundreds of thousands of existing profiles.
While Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hailed it as a “proud day” for families, the move has sparked intense debate:
Many parents and child advocates believe the “delay” will reduce rates of cyberbullying, grooming, and mental health issues driven by addictive algorithms.
Tech giants and privacy experts warn that the law will force platforms to collect more sensitive biometric data from all users (including adults) to verify ages.
Early reports indicate some teens are already bypassing checks using VPNs, scrunched-up faces for biometric scans, or their parents’ Face ID. Reddit has also filed a legal challenge, arguing it is a forum, not a social media site.
