US EditionAustralia's world-first social media ban for under-16s comes into effect
Australia's law requires major platforms to block accounts under 16 and imposes fines up to A$49.5 million for non-compliance, affecting over one million accounts, government says.
- On Wednesday, Australia implemented a world-first law banning under-16s from holding social media accounts, deactivating more than 1 million accounts across 10 platforms including Facebook and TikTok.
- Citing child welfare concerns, Australian officials argued the law aims to protect children, with the Australian federal parliament passing the bill in last year, following a study on social media use.
- Under the law, platforms must take `reasonable steps` to block under-16s, face fines up to 49.5 million Australian dollars, and Meta will start closing accounts on Dec. 4.
- Two 15-year-olds have mounted a High Court challenge arguing the law robs 2.6 million young Australians of an implied freedom, while Communications Minister Anika Wells said the government will defend the measure and not be intimidated.
- Tech companies say the ban could drive users to darker corners of the internet, platforms warn young users may turn to unregulated apps or VPNs, polling shows 73 percent support but only 26 percent confidence, and other countries are watching.
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Australia Bans Children Under 16 Years Old from Social Media
PODCAST: Dec. 9, 2025 ~ Dr. Asha Shajahan, primary care physician with Corewell Health, joins Marie Osborne to discuss the Australia social media ban.AUSTRALIA ~ On Wednesday, millions of Australian children and teenagers under the age of 16 had their accounts deactivated after the country implemented a ban on social media for those under 16 years old. The move is making waves globally, as other nations eye the first-of-its-kind ban to s…
Australia acts, Germany still discusses: How politicians in this country see possible measures against the social media use of children and teenagers.
No more social media under 16 years of age. Australia starts, other countries want to join. But the question remains: What problem did you want to solve again?
As of December 10, many teenagers will no longer be able to use platforms like Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat. Tech companies will have to check the age of users to remove their under-16 accounts
Since today's Wednesday, under-16-year-olds in Australia are no longer allowed to use social media. Ukrainian President Selenskyj is ready for new elections despite martial law.
Starting today, young people under 16 in Australia can no longer use social media. This makes the country the first in the world to implement such a ban. Reactions among young people have been mixed, and not all parents support the measure. "Some parents even help them create fake accounts," notes correspondent Eveline Masco.
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