The ban is the result of an amendment to the Online Security Act, adopted in November 2024 by Parliament in Canberra. Both in the House of Representatives and the Senate, the amendment was approved by a clear majority, and according to a YouGov poll conducted at that time, 77 percent supported the restrictions. Australians.
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When did the ban on social media platforms come into force in Australia?
What platforms are banned?
What are the exceptions to the social media ban?
What penalties do platforms face for failing to implement the ban?
There are exceptions to the ban
These will apply to the Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube and Reddit platforms as well as the Kick and Twitch streaming services. However, the following are not subject to restrictions: Discord, GitHub, Google Classroom, LEGO Play, Messenger, Pinterest, Roblox, Steam, WhatsApp, YouTube Kids and 4chan. The government, which is under pressure to extend the ban to online gaming, has said the list is not final and will be subject to review.
A key element of the regulations is that it is the social media platforms themselves — not children or parents — who must enforce the ban. They must take “reasonable steps” to prevent children from accessing their sites and use age verification technologies such as uploading an official ID or facial/voice recognition, but the government did not specify what technologies the platforms should use. Serious or repeated breaches can result in fines of up to A$49.5 million (approximately US$32 million).
There are concerns that age verification technologies may incorrectly block some users while failing to detect others who are underage, and that they may be easily bypassed. Critics also point out that the restrictions do not apply to gaming platforms and chatbots based on artificial intelligence – despite reports of cases where chatbots encouraged children to commit suicide.
Social media platforms – which were given a year to comply with the new rules – argued that the ban would be ineffective, difficult to implement, could isolate vulnerable teenagers and push others into the dark corners of the internet. They also argued that it could pose a threat to users' privacy. Ultimately, however, they announced that they would comply with the new regulations. Last week, Meta's apps — Instagram, Facebook and Threads — began deactivating the accounts of users under 16 years of age.
Will Australia set an example for other countries?
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stressed last year after adopting the ban that no one is saying its implementation will be perfect, but adopting such restrictions is right because they will make social networking sites “less harmful to young Australians” and will require children to be treated as a priority.
According to a study conducted in 2025, 96 percent Australian children aged 10-15 used social media platforms and seven in 10 of them were exposed to harmful content.
During hearings before a parliamentary committee in October, Snapchat estimated that it had approximately 440,000 users in Australia. users aged 13 to 15, TikTok said it has approx. 200,000. accounts of users under 16 years of age, and Meta – that there are approximately 450,000 of them on Facebook and Instagram.
However, industry sources suggest that social media platforms are more concerned about implementation problems than other countries may follow Australia's lead and introduce similar bans. Denmark, Norway, France, Greece, Spain, New Zealand, Malaysia and Singapore are considering them or have taken the first steps towards introducing them.
