Australia’s world-first social media ban for children under 16 officially came into force today, triggering sweeping changes across the country’s largest digital platforms and reshaping the online habits of millions of young Australians.
The federal government confirmed that Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, X, Reddit, Threads, Kick and Twitch are now legally required to block under-16s from accessing their services. Many companies had already begun closing or suspending accounts ahead of the December 10 deadline, with Meta locking teenagers out of Facebook and Instagram in recent days.
Authorities say the ban is designed to curb rising harms associated with social media use, including cyberbullying, online predators, self-harm content and algorithm-driven addiction. Companies that fail to take “reasonable steps” to remove under-age users face penalties of up to $50 million.
eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said the ban is necessary to address an escalating crisis in youth safety online but emphasised that enforcement will be an ongoing challenge. She warned that children frequently migrate to emerging platforms when the major ones are restricted — mirroring US trends when TikTok briefly went offline.
While the ban covers the largest social media platforms, several services remain available to children. These include Messenger Kids, WhatsApp, Kids Helpline, Google Classroom, YouTube Kids, Discord, and the gaming platform Roblox, which will soon introduce age-verification tools across Australia, New Zealand and the Netherlands.
The federal government has signalled that the current list of banned platforms is only the beginning. Communications Minister Anika Wells described the policy as a “whack-a-mole situation”, saying authorities will expand the ban to additional apps if young Australians flock to new digital spaces that present similar risks.
She also warned that no platform is permanently exempt — even professional networks like LinkedIn may be targeted if minors begin using them in ways that lead to harm.
Despite the rollout, experts expect many under-16s will attempt to bypass the restrictions by moving to smaller or lesser-known services. The government says it is monitoring this behaviour closely and will adjust the framework throughout 2026.
The ban marks one of the most ambitious attempts globally to regulate children’s access to social media — and the next few months will test how effectively Australia can enforce the new era of online protection.
