The legislation was introduced by the Albanese government with the support of state and territory governments. It imposes monetary penalties on social media companies that fail to take reasonable steps to prevent minors under 16 that are located in Australia from having accounts on their services. The legislation allows the government to determine which social media platforms must ban age‑restricted users and proclaim a date for the commencement of the ban, with those provisions taking effect on 10 December 2025.
The ban on access to social media by young people by the federal government originated in an entreaty by the wife of the premier of South Australia, Peter Malinauskas, to her husband. She requested that he read The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt and take action to address the impact of social media on the mental health of children.[1] The couple have four young children, and, thinking of them, the premier thought that government should play a part in helping parents to regulate use of social media by their children at home.[2] Malinauskas contacted former High Court chief justice Robert French, who agreed to look at the issue, and in September 2024 handed the premier a 267page proposal, which he dubbed a "Swiss Army knife" rather than a machete, to adjust to social media's "changing landscape and its complexity". The leaders of other states and territories gave their support to Malinauskas's idea, and he took the French report to National Cabinet to collaborate with chief ministers, premiers, and the prime minister.[3][2]
Community support swelled after stories of parents who had lost their children to suicide after being bullied on social media were published. Albanese himself was moved by a personal letter received from Kelly O'Brien, whose 12-year-old daughter Charlotte had taken her own life due to bullying at school.[2] An event took place at the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session in September 2025 at which a mother spoke of her daughter's suicide as "death by bullying ... enabled by social media". The speech won support from world leaders in Greece, Fiji, Tonga and the president of the European CommissionUrsula von der Leyen.[4]
In early September 2024, South Australia proposed legislation similar to the federal law now in place. The state-based version was intended to ban users under the age of 14, unlike the federal law, which bans those under16. The state-based law also proposed to require parental consent for 14 and 15‑year‑olds.[5] Later in September, prime minister Anthony Albanese announced that his government intended to introduce legislation to set a minimum age requirement for social media.[6]
In November 2024, the federal government indicated their intention to engage the Age Check Certification Scheme following a tender process for an age assurance technology trial.[7] The Albanese government's proposed ban was supported by the governments of every state and territory.[8] Albanese described social media as a "scourge", and said "I want people to spend more time on the footy field or the netball court than they're spending on their phones", that family members are "worried sick about the safety of our kids online", and that social media "is having a negative impact on young people's mental health and on anxiety".[9] Albanese's statements followed an earlier pledge by Liberal opposition leader Peter Dutton to implement a ban on social media for under16s within 100days of being elected.[9]
The opposition organised an open letter signed by 140 experts who specialise in child welfare and technology.[6] The opposition was concerned about the invasion of privacy that will occur with the introduction of identification-based age checks.[6] An advocacy group for digital companies in Australia called the plans a "20th Century response to 21st Century challenges".[10] A director of a mental health service voiced concerns, stating that "73% of young people across Australia who accessed mental health support did so through social media".[10]
Implementation
Social media companies will receive a transition period of one year after the legislation is enacted to introduce reasonable controls preventing minors under the age of 16 from holding accounts on their services while physically located in Australia.[10] Enforcement will involve fines of up to A$49.5million for companies failing to take such steps, with no consequences for parents and children who violate the restrictions.[11] There are no parental consent exceptions to the ban,[10] and while the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) to access these services remains legal in Australia, the services are expected to try to stop under16s from using VPNs to pretend to be outside Australia.[12] The expectation is to make best-efforts to implement the ban on platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, Snapchat, TikTok, Twitter, Threads, Twitch, Kick and YouTube.[13][14][15]
Some social media companies are now obligated to become good enough at profiling Australian children under 16 to satisfy the Australian government they tried to implement the ban to avoid being fined. Consequently, social media companies said they will try to identify restricted users using various methods including behavioural inferencing.[16] On 5 November 2025, it was announced that online gaming platform Roblox will not be banned, but Reddit and live-streaming platform Kick will be added to the list of platforms to be banned.[17]
A report by Age Check Certification Scheme, a UK company recruited by the government to consult on the technology used to implement the restrictions, was issued in June 2025, ahead of the December deadline to implement the ban.[18] In June 2025, the preliminary report was released, which stated that "there are no significant technological barriers" to implementing the ban.[19]
In late July 2025, Google warned that it would sue the Australian government if YouTube was included in the ban.[20][21] On 30 July, the government announced that it would extend its social media age limit to include YouTube, following advice from Grant.[22][21]
On 30 July 2025, the minister for communications, Anika Wells, published the Online Safety (Age-Restricted Social Media Platforms) Rules 2025, which specify exactly which types of social media platforms will be banned for certain users.[23]
On 31 August 2025, the full report was released, which stated that it would technically be possible to implement the ban; however, coordination among different services is required to successfully implement it. It also highlighted the benefits and flaws of different methods of age verification.[24]
On 16 September 2025, it was announced that the eSafety Commissioner will be able to take legal action against social media companies that have not pursued reasonable steps to bar users under the age of 16, and that fines can range up to A$49.5million against these companies in court.[25]
On 19 November 2025, Meta announced that from 4 December their platforms (Instagram, Facebook, and Threads) would be removing users under the age of 16 ahead of the 10 December deadline. Users will be able to scan a face or provide an identity document to prove their age.[26]
On 21 November 2025, the eSafety Commissioner announced that the live-streaming platform Twitch will be included in the ban, but that Pinterest would not be.[27][28]
In December 2025, eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant suggested efforts to block users include use by social media companies of various "signals" to identify children that are physically located in Australia and in the target age range, for the purpose of countering "location-based [... and] aged-based circumvention".[29] Grant also commented that costs for suitable VPNs are "in the thousands of dollars" and therefore out of reach of most teenagers,[29] despite VPNs being available for less than A$20 per month.[30]
Platforms affected
Grant has stated that "there will not be a static list" of platforms that are age-restricted,[31] due to changing services and technology.
As of 21November2025[update], the following platforms are required to implement age restrictions:[32]
On 21 November 2024, the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024 was introduced into the federal parliament by the minister for communications, Michelle Rowland.[34][6][10] The bill was then referred to the Environment and Communications Legislation Committee of the Senate, which reported its findings on 26 November after having received 15,000 submissions. There was a 24‑hour period for submissions to be made for or against the bill, with the committee stating "due to the short timeframe of this inquiry, the committee would appreciate submissions being limited to 1–2 pages."[35][36]
House of Representatives
On 27 November, the House of Representatives passed the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024 by a vote of 101 in favour, 13 against. The governing Labor Party, all of the Coalition except for Bridget Archer, and four independent MPs voted in favour of the bill. Six independent MPs, all the Greens, Rebekha Sharkie, and Bob Katter voted against.[37][38]
Michelle Rowland (left, minister who introduced the bill) and Anika Wells (right, current minister for communications)
An official at Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, stated that the company would comply with any laws regarding age restrictions for children in Australia.[10]Snap, the owner of Snapchat, also confirmed its intention to comply with the legislation. Meta stated that they would prefer mobile app store operators (Apple's App Store and Google's Play Store) verify a user's age rather than having the onus fall to individual platforms.[14][40]
Meta has also alerted users under the age of 16 to back up their data before the ban, giving them options to update contact information, delete their account, or back up their data.[40]
Former High Court judge Robert French welcomed the passage of the legislation, describing it as "the basic sensible model". French had previously contributed to a review of similar proposed legislation in South Australia.[1]
Advocacy group 36 Months supports the ban but opposes the inclusion of YouTube in the ban's scope.[41]
The newspapers owned by News Corp Australia[a] ran a campaign titled Let Them Be Kids that publicised the experiences of parents losing their children to suicide as a result of bullying taking place on social media and aimed to introduce a social media age limit.[42][43]
Public opinion
An opinion poll conducted by YouGov in November 2024 found that 77% of Australians supported the age limit.[44]
Polling by The Sydney Morning Herald's Resolve Political Monitor in December 2024 showed that 58% of respondents supported the policy. However, only 25% believed it would work, compared to 67% who thought it would not achieve its aims.[45] Similar polling in December 2025 indicated that 70% of voters endorsed the ban, while 15% opposed it. A majority (53%) of parents planned to selectively allow platforms for their children, 29% intended full compliance, and 13% said they would take no action. Confidence in the ban's effectiveness remained low, with 58% not confident compared to 33% who were fully confident.[46]
A opinion poll published on 10 December 2025 by Essential Research found that support was at 57% which is a decrease from 69% support in July 2024. Opposition increased from 14% in July 2024 to 22% in December 2025. 66% thought the ban would be somewhat or fully effective while 34% did not have faith in the legislation's effectiveness.[47]
Behind the News, an ABC news program for children and teenagers, ran a poll on its website in November 2025, in which over 17,000 people in the age range participated. The results were announced in December during the program's final episode of 2025, showed that a majority of the participants use YouTube, followed by Roblox, both leading by large margins. When asked "Do you plan to stop using social media once the ban comes in?", 75% responded No, against 25% responding Yes. When asked "Do you think the social media ban is a good idea?", 70% responded Yes, 21% responded Not sure and 9% responded No.[48][bettersourceneeded]
Criticism
The Law Council raised concerns about the implementation of the law, stating that the scope of the legislation is too broad and poses risks to privacy and human rights.[49]
The Digital Industry Group voiced concerns about the implementation and potential impacts of the legislation.[14]TikTok described the legislation as "rushed" and warned it could push younger users into "darker corners of the internet".[1]
Leonardo Puglisi, founder of the youth-run news outlet 6 News Australia, has been a vocal critic of the legislation.[51][52] He also criticised the lack of consultation with affected young people.[52] Associate Professor Faith Gordon from the Australian National University argued that social media companies should have an "enforced duty of care" rather than being subject to outright bans.[52]
Concerns have been raised that LGBTQ+ and neurodivergent teens, as well as those in rural areas, could be cut off from communicating with peers in similar situations.[11]
In June 2025, ABC News reported that available age-verification systems did not always accurately detect a user's age.[53] After the ban came into effect on 10 December 2025, ABC News reported that "many children have already been able to get around the ban in various ways".[54]
The action is being managed by former Liberal Party candidate for Warringah, Katherine Deves, through the law firm Pryor Tzannes & Wallis.[56] On 4 December 2025, the High Court agreed to hear the Digital Freedom Project's challenge. The case will proceed under a special directions hearing, with arguments scheduled for 2026, the earliest available date being February.[57] The president of the Digital Freedom Project is John Ruddick, member of the Libertarian Party and member of the New South Wales Legislative Council. Two 15-year-olds Macy Neyland and Noah Jones are named as plaintiffs in this challenge to the law.[55]
The state governments of New South Wales, South Australia, and Western Australia announced that they would oppose the Digital Freedom Project's challenge.[58]
In addition to the Digital Freedom Project's challenge, Reddit is pursuing separate legal action in the High Court, with barrister Perry Herzfeld leading the case on behalf of law firm Thomson Geer.[59] Reddit's case also says "a person under the age of 16 can be more easily protected from online harm if they have an account, being the very thing that is prohibited" and says the law violates the Constitution by restricting political discourse of young people. Reddit also argues that it should be out of scope because it is a forum more oriented to adults. A judgement could be handed down by February 2026 with a judgement being made later in the year.[60]
In regard to legal action, a government spokesperson stated that "the Albanese government is on the side of Australian parents and kids, not platforms"; minister Wells stated "we will not yield to intimidation. We will not be deterred by legal disputes"; and eSafety commissioner Grant stated "if the court makes a decision, we'll abide by it. It may be that the Commonwealth wins. It may be that some changes need to be made to the policy. Who knows? I'm just going to move forward, given there hasn't been any legal constraint placed on us."[60]
↑Kaye, Byron; Jose, Renju; Redmayne, James; Hsu, Cordelia; Pal, Alasdair; and Hudson, Alexandra (11 December 2025) [10 December 2025]. Heavens, Andrew; Potter, Mark; Lincoln, Lincoln; and Babington, Deepa (eds.). "Australia begins enforcing world-first teen social media ban". Sydney: Reuters. Archived from the original on 10 December 2025. Retrieved 15 November 2025. Companies have told Canberra they will deploy a mix of age inference – estimating a user's age from their behaviour – and age estimation based on a selfie, alongside checks that could include uploaded identification documents.
↑"Twitch assessed as age-restricted social media platform" (Media release). eSafety Commissioner. 21 November 2025. Archived from the original on 21 November 2025. Retrieved 21 November 2025. From 10 December, Twitch and the previously announced Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X and YouTube, will be required to take reasonable steps to prevent Australian children under the age of 16 from having accounts.
↑Migliano, Simon (27 November 2025). Jones, JP (ed.). "The Best VPNs for Australia". top10vpn.com. Archived from the original on 26 December 2025. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
↑"Platforms on notice to comply with Social Media Minimum Age" (Press release). eSafety Commissioner. 4 November 2025. Archived from the original on 21 November 2025. Retrieved 21 November 2025. Due to the fast-changing nature of technology, eSafety has been clear there will not be a static list of companies that are age-restricted.
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