From December 10, 2025, social media companies will be mandated in Australia to prevent children under 16 from setting up accounts, effectively serving as a precedent for global digital safety measures. The government articulates the ban as a world-first policy aimed at alleviating pressures and risks that children face online, citing concerning statistics where 90% of children aged 10-15 are users of social media.
A government-commissioned study revealed alarming exposure rates to harmful content, with incidents of cyberbullying and grooming behaviors reported. Major platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube will be affected, while others like WhatsApp and YouTube Kids will remain exempt due to differing functionality.
The enforcement of the ban will not penalize children or parents, but rather hold companies accountable, imposing fines up to $49.5 million for violations. The onus is on social media firms to utilize unspecified age verification methods, raising concerns regarding privacy and data handling amid rising instances of data breaches globally.
The introduction has sparked debate among stakeholders, with critics arguing the methods of implementation could be inefficient and inadvertently block legitimate users, while proponents see it as a necessary measure against online harms. In the wider global context, other countries are observing Australia's steps closely as they contemplate similar regulations.
