Australia has officially commenced the implementation of a sweeping ban on social media access for users under the age of 16, with the nation’s internet regulator predicting that this will be the “first domino” in a global movement to impose tighter controls on major technology companies.
Ahead of the December 10th deadline, platforms including Meta’s Instagram, Facebook, and Threads, as well as TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube, have agreed to comply with the new law, with Meta already beginning the deactivation of hundreds of thousands of underage accounts across its platforms.
Australia’s social media ban aims to protect under-16s from what the gov’t calls online ‘purgatory’. Communications Minister Anika Wells says that the law, which comes into force on December 10, could protect Generation Alpha from addictive ‘predatory algorithms’. pic.twitter.com/IIIrjsrQcF
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) December 3, 2025
eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, who initially harbored concerns about the “blunt-force” approach, affirmed her support for the ban, arguing that previous incremental regulatory changes failed to counter the “powerful, harmful, deceptive design features” embedded in the platforms, which even adults struggle to resist.
You May Like To Read: US, and Ukraine Negotiators to Meet in Miami After ‘No Compromise’ Moscow Talks
The law is significant because 96% of Australian teenagers under 16 hold social media accounts, representing over one million citizens. Inman Grant noted that other governments worldwide are closely monitoring the Australian law, which carries a substantial fine of up to A$49.5 million (US$33 million) for non-compliance, despite facing significant lobbying against the measure, including an approach by the platforms to the U.S. government regarding the perceived exertion of extra-territorial power. The move is receiving praise from parents who view the law as alleviating the mental health pressures on their children.
