US EditionAustralian leader defends social media ban as teens flaunt workarounds
More than 200,000 TikTok accounts were deactivated as platforms face fines up to A$49.5 million for noncompliance amid widespread age verification and workaround issues.
- A new law in Australia requires major social media platforms to bar underage users or face hefty fines, prompting teens to brag about evading the ban.
- Some platforms not affected by the ban have seen a surge in downloads as teens seek alternatives, while searches for virtual private networks to mask location also spiked.
- The Australian government acknowledges the ban will take time to implement fully, and other countries have expressed interest in emulating the measure aimed at protecting children online.
65 Articles
65 Articles
On December 10, 2025 it marked a historic moment for Australia: the law has entered into force that prohibits minors under 16 years of age access to major social media, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, Facebook and X. The measure, approved by the Australian Parliament in November 2024 after an arm wrestling with Big Tech, requires platforms to verify the age of users and block the accounts of minors, with fines up to 50 million Australian d…
Australian PM defends social media ban as teenagers flout new law
Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese on Thursday took aim at young people parading themselves on social media a day after a world-first ban on under-16s went live, saying the rollout was always going to be bumpy but would ultimately save lives.
Social media and teenagers
Australia has banned under-16s from social media in what is the world's first such crackdown, with the Government of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese saying that unprecedented measures are needed to protect children from "predatory algorithms" filling phone screens with bullying, sex and violence. Scores of popular apps and websites face $33 million fines if they fail to purge Australia-based under 16 users. The ban is born of a legitimate concer…
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