Users under 16 will not be able to create or keep such accounts as of Wednesday<\/p>\n
Australia is set to become the world\u2019s first country to ban social media for children under 16, blocking them from platforms including TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.
\nApproved by Parliament last year, the ban is scheduled to take effect on Wednesday. Companies that fail to comply could face penalties equivalent to up to $33 million.
\n\u201cFrom 10 December 2025, age-restricted social media platforms will have to take reasonable steps to prevent Australians under the age of 16 from creating or keeping an account,\u201d the government said, calling the measure a way to protect children \u201cat a critical stage of their development.\u201d
\nPlatforms will be required to use a mix of signals, including account activity, viewing habits and user photos, to identify underage users. They must also stop minors from circumventing age limits by using fake IDs, AI-generated images, deepfakes or VPNs.
\nTech companies have criticized the ban, describing it as \u201cvague,\u201d\u00a0\u201cproblematic,\u201d and \u201crushed.\u201d TikTok and Meta said the law would be difficult to enforce but pledged to comply. Meta already began removing under-16 accounts ahead of the December 10 deadline. Snapchat and other platforms warned the measure could push young people toward \u201cdarker corners of the internet.\u201d Reddit has also sharply criticized the law, calling it \u201clegally erroneous\u201d and \u201carbitrary.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Other countries are also exploring similar legislation with the expressed intent of protecting children.
\nThe European Parliament adopted a non-binding resolution in November calling for a minimum age of 16 on social media to ensure \u201cage-appropriate online engagement.\u201d Denmark has proposed banning users under 15, while France, Spain, Italy, Denmark and Greece are jointly testing an age-verification app. Malaysia has announced plans to ban social-media use for under-16s starting in 2026.
\nLast week, Russia banned Roblox, an online gaming platform marketed largely toward children, over what it called distribution of extremist content and LGBTQ propaganda.
\nConcerns over child safety online have led to mounting legal pressure. Meta is facing lawsuits in the US alleging it allowed illicit content to remain on its platforms despite repeated violations, including adult strangers contacting minors, suicide, eating disorders, and child sexual abuse.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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