The The Australian government has says beginning from 10 December, it will enforce a nationwide ban preventing children under 16 from accessing major social media platforms, including TikTok, X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and Threads.
Authorities say the move aims to protect young users from online harms while new age-verification systems are rolled out.
They will not be able to set up new accounts, and existing profiles must be deactivated.
The ban which is the first of its kind is being watched closely by other countries.
The government said; “it will reduce the negative impact of social media’s “design features that encourage [young people] to spend more time on screens, while also serving up content that can harm their health and wellbeing.”
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A study it commissioned earlier in 2025 found that 96% of children aged 10-15 used social media, and that seven out of 10 of them had been exposed to harmful content. This included misogynistic and violent material as well as content promoting eating disorders and suicide.
One in seven also reported experiencing grooming-type behaviour from adults or older children, and more than half said they had been the victim of cyberbullying.
Ten platforms are currently included: Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube, Reddit and streaming platforms Kick and Twitch.
The government assesses potential sites against three main criteria:
Under-16s will also still be available to view most content on online platforms which do not require an account.
The government said “firms must take reasonable steps to keep kids off their platforms, and should use multiple age assurance technologies.”
These could include government IDs, face or voice recognition, or so-called “age inference”, which analyses online behaviour and interactions to estimate a person’s age.
Platforms cannot rely on users self-certifying or parents vouching for their children.
Communications Minister Annika Wells conceded that the ban may not be perfect.
“It’s going to look a bit untidy on the way through..Big reforms always do.”she said in early November
Australia like much of the world has had a series of high-profile data breaches where sensitive personal information was stolen and published or sold.
But the government insists the legislation incorporates strong protections for personal data.
BBC/Wumi