As of 10 December 2025, Australia has officially implemented the world’s first law banning children under 16 from holding accounts on major social media platforms.
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Under the law passed as the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024, ten major platforms have been ordered to deactivate accounts belonging to anyone under 16 and to block new under-16 registrations.
The list of impacted services includes Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, Snapchat, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, Reddit, Twitch and Kick.
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Platforms that fail to take “reasonable steps” to enforce the ban risk huge penalties fines of up to $49.5 million.
The move aims to protect children from online harms such as bullying, addiction, misinformation and harmful content, as well as reduce mental-health risks linked to heavy social media use among teens.
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Under the rules, children and their parents face no punishment the responsibility lies solely with the platforms.
Implementation will use a mix of age-verification methods: platforms may use behavior analysis, facial-age estimation, selfie or ID checks (though they’re not allowed to force users to submit government ID), or other age-assurance tools.
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While most platforms have said they will comply, the rollout has already faced challenges: there are reports of under-16 users passing facial age-checks, and some parents fear kids may migrate to less regulated apps — raising concerns over enforcement and effectiveness.
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