Australia Enforces Social Media Ban for Children Under 16

Australia on Wednesday, December 10, implemented a landmark social media ban for children under 16, requiring platforms including TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook to block their content for teens. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese marked the day with a video message, calling it “a day when families are taking back power.”

In his message, Albanese said the ban empowers families to assert children’s rights to be kids and gives parents greater peace of mind, while holding big tech companies accountable.

Ten major platforms were ordered to block content for under-16 users starting from midnight Tuesday, or face fines of up to AUD 33 million, Reuters reported. While tech companies opposed the move, parents largely welcomed it.

Calling it a “proud day,” the Prime Minister added, “This will make an enormous difference. It is one of the biggest social and cultural changes that our nation has faced.” The government cited research highlighting the harms social media can pose to teens’ mental health, including bullying, misinformation, and harmful depictions of body image.

In the final hours before the ban, children were posting farewell messages to their followers. Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) was the last major platform to comply, stating, “It’s not our choice,” but that the law requires content to be blocked for underage users.

Platforms have deployed a combination of measures to enforce the ban, including behavioral analysis, age estimation from selfies, and verification of uploaded documents.