Australia begins locking under-16s out of social media

SYDNEY: Australia has begun blocking users under 16 from major social media platforms as part of a sweeping new law that will impose one of the world’s toughest age restrictions on Big Tech.

The move marks the beginning of an unprecedented national crackdown on children’s online access — a policy that several governments are now watching closely.

Meta platforms including Instagram, Facebook and Threads started deactivating accounts belonging to underage users, with hundreds of thousands expected to be locked out before the law takes effect on December 10.

Other platforms, including TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat, have begun notifying young users to download their photos and contacts, advising them to either delete their accounts or freeze them until they turn 16.

Australia’s eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, who initially had concerns about what she described as a “blunt-force” approach, said she now supports the ban, arguing that incremental regulation had failed to protect children.

“We’ve reached a tipping point,” she said at the Sydney Dialogue cyber summit. “Our data is the currency that fuels these companies, and their powerful, harmful, deceptive design features are overwhelming even for adults. What chance do our children have?”

Inman Grant added that governments worldwide were monitoring Australia’s rollout, calling the policy “the first domino” in a broader push to rein in Big Tech. She noted that platforms had resisted the change for more than a year, even taking their case to the US government, which has now asked her to testify before the House Judiciary Committee — a request she has yet to accept.

The law, passed on October 28 after a highly emotional national debate, requires platforms to prevent minors from logging in or face fines of up to A$49.5 million. A trial of verification methods is scheduled for January, while full enforcement will begin in a year.

With 96 per cent of Australian teenagers under 16 — more than one million young people — accessing social media, the ban represents a dramatic shift in the country’s digital policy landscape. The Social Media Minimum Age bill also marks a political win for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who faces an election in 2025 amid declining poll numbers. Although the ban drew criticism from privacy advocates and a number of child rights groups, public support remained strong, with 77 per cent backing the move.

The legislation was shaped heavily by testimonies presented to a parliamentary inquiry, where families shared accounts of self-harm and online bullying. Australia’s domestic media, led by News Corp, endorsed the ban through the “Let Them Be Kids” campaign.

Public opinion has further been bolstered by prominent global voices.

Speaking in Sydney on Thursday night, American talk show host Oprah Winfrey praised the legislation, saying it would “change the lives of an entire generation” by giving young people space to socialise offline.

Winfrey expressed particular concern about the impact of online content on boys. “Many don’t know how to hold a conversation or ask someone out because they’ve grown up online,” she said. “Once again, Australia leads the way for the rest of the world.”

As the first country to implement an absolute ban for under-16s — stricter than laws passed in France or several US states — Australia now stands at the forefront of a global debate over children, mental health and digital safety. Governments worldwide are expected to evaluate the fallout from the ban as they consider similar measures of their own.