Australia will enforce a nationwide ban on social media accounts for children under 16 starting December 10. Communications Minister Anika Wells confirmed that Reddit and Kick have joined Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, and YouTube under the new regulation.
The law requires platforms to close accounts belonging to users under the minimum age. Any company that fails to take “reasonable steps” faces fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars (€28.3 million). “We have met with several platforms this month to ensure they understand the law,” Wells told reporters in Canberra. “They use advanced technology to target children; now we expect them to use that same technology to protect them.”
Enforcement and Global Interest in the Policy
Australia’s eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant will oversee enforcement of the new rule. She said the list of restricted platforms will expand as new social technologies emerge. The government defined these nine platforms as those primarily designed to “enable online social interaction.”
Inman Grant said her office will collaborate with academics to assess how the ban affects children’s health, social behaviour, and activity levels. “We’ll track both the intended results and any unexpected outcomes,” she said. “Our findings will help other nations learn from Australia’s experience.”
Several governments have praised Australia’s move. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the decision “inspired” and “a common-sense measure” during a United Nations forum in New York. Denmark’s ambassador to Australia, Ingrid Dahl-Madsen, also said her country will study Australia’s approach to protect its own children from online harms.
Privacy Concerns and Academic Opposition
Critics warn the ban could compromise user privacy because platforms will need to verify everyone’s age. Wells acknowledged those concerns and promised that the government aims to “protect data as securely as possible.”
More than 140 experts from Australia and abroad signed an open letter to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last year opposing the legislation. They argued that a universal age ban is “too blunt an instrument” to effectively reduce online risks for children.
Despite the backlash, the Australian government insists the policy will lead global efforts to safeguard minors from the dangers of social media exposure. The law’s implementation in December will mark the world’s first nationwide under-16 restriction on major online platforms.
