Australia to Ban Social Media for Kids Under 16 Starting December 2025
New law aims to protect children from online risks like bullying, harmful content, and mental health issues.
Tech News, 02 DEC 2025: Australia is implementing a pioneering law that bans children under 16 from having their own social media accounts starting December 10, 2025. This law, known as the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024, requires social media platforms to take “reasonable measures” to prevent Australians under 16 from creating accounts, as well as deactivating existing accounts of underage users.
The government’s intention is to protect children from online risks such as bullying, grooming, sexual exploitation, and mental health harms that can arise from prolonged social media use and harmful content exposure. Platforms cannot rely on users self-reporting their age or parents’ consent to bypass this rule. Instead, companies like Meta (which owns Facebook, Instagram, and Threads) have started proactively shutting down accounts they believe belong to under-16s, offering options to verify age with government ID or video selfies for those mistakenly removed.
Social media platforms that fail to comply face hefty fines of up to 50 million AUD (around 32 million USD) per breach. The law does not penalize underage users or their parents for breaking the rule but focuses enforcement on the platforms. Users under 16 can still view public content on many platforms if browsing without an account is allowed, but they cannot post, comment, or message.
A study commissioned by the government earlier this year said 96% of children aged 10-15 used social media and that seven out of 10 of them had been exposed to harmful content and behaviour. This behaviour ranged from misogynistic material to fight videos and content promoting eating disorders and suicide.
This law has drawn international attention as one of the strictest regulations aimed at safeguarding children online, and other countries like Malaysia are reportedly considering similar bans, inspired by Australia’s lead.
In summary:
- Effective December 10, 2025, children under 16 in Australia cannot have social media accounts.
- Social media companies must prevent account creation by under-16s and remove existing accounts.
- The government holds platforms accountable with heavy fines for non-compliance.
- Children under 16 can browse content but cannot post or interact.
- The ban prioritizes child safety amid growing concerns about social media’s impact on youth well-being.
