New legislation holds social media platforms accountable for preventing children under 16 from creating accounts, with hefty fines for non-compliance.
Australia has passed a groundbreaking law that bans children under 16 from using social media platforms, marking a world-first step in regulating online access for minors. The legislation, which is set to come into effect in November 2025, imposes stringent age-verification measures on social media companies, requiring them to implement systems that prevent users under the age of 16 from holding accounts.
Platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit, and X (formerly Twitter) will face penalties of up to 50 million Australian dollars (roughly £25 million) if they fail to stop underage users from registering on their sites. The social media companies will have a year to put measures in place before these fines begin to apply.
This law is part of Australia’s efforts to tackle online safety issues, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announcing in September that the government would trial age-verification technology before fully implementing the ban. At the time, Meta—owner of Facebook and Instagram, which has a self-imposed minimum age of 13—expressed its preference for empowering young people to use its platforms safely, rather than cutting off access entirely.
While the legislation has passed through the Senate, the House of Representatives must still endorse the amendments. However, this is expected to be a formality, as the government has already indicated its support for the changes.
This move has prompted discussions internationally, with reports suggesting that lawmakers in the UK are considering similar measures. Peter Kyle, the UK’s science secretary, recently voiced his concerns about social media’s harmful impact, particularly on teenagers. He stressed that, although he was not keen on blanket bans, protecting young people from online harm remained a priority. “Where there are harms, I will keep everything on the table when it comes to keeping people safe,” he said in a statement.
