Australia has started blocking children from Social media

Australia has just begun enforcing a new law that effectively locks children under 16 out of most major social media platforms nationwide. Australia now requires big social platforms to prevent under-16s from having accounts and to remove existing under-16 accounts used from within Australia. Platforms that fail to do this can face huge fines, in the tens of millions of Australian dollars. The rules cover the largest social networks whose primary purpose is social interaction. This includes services such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, X/Twitter, Reddit, and similar platforms popular with teenagers. Companies must take “reasonable measures” to verify age, such as government ID checks or facial recog- nition, before allowing an account in Australia.

New accounts by under-16s are banned, and many existing accounts held by 13- to 15-year-olds are being deactivated or “o oarded.” The government says the goal is to protect children from harmful content, cyberbullying, grooming, sexual extortion and addictive algorithms that drive excessive screen time. Leaders argue that social media has too often become a vector for anxiety, bullying and exposure to violent or explicit material rather than a healthy social space.

Many parents’ and child safety groups support the move and see it as a necessary step to reduce online harms and youth suicides. Tech companies, civil liberties groups and some young people argue it threatens privacy, may push teens onto less regulated platforms, and could cut off valuable social connections, especially for isolated or marginalised youth.