Australia to Introduce Landmark Social Media Ban for Under-16s

The Australian government announced plans to legislate a social media ban for children under 16, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated on Thursday, calling it a world-leading initiative expected to become law by late next year.

Australia is currently testing an age-verification system as part of a series of strict measures to restrict children’s access to social media platforms. “Social media is harming our kids, and I’m putting an end to it,” Albanese said in a press briefing, referencing the physical and mental health risks associated with excessive social media use, especially among teenagers. He highlighted the dangers posed by harmful body image content targeting girls and misogynistic messages aimed at boys.

Albanese emphasized that the influence of social media on young teens at a vulnerable stage of their development can be especially damaging. “We’re listening, and we’re acting,” he said.

While several countries have proposed restrictions on social media access for children, Australia’s policy is among the strictest to date. It includes age-verification technologies like biometric checks and government identification to enforce the age limit—methods no other country has trialed. This legislation would also set the highest age limit worldwide for social media access and notably would not permit parental consent as a workaround. Pre-existing accounts for underage users would not be exempted.

Albanese said the law would be introduced in Parliament this year and take effect 12 months after approval. The opposition Liberal Party has already shown support for the measure. Social media platforms would be held responsible for preventing underage access, shifting the burden from parents or young people to the companies themselves.

Communications Minister Michelle Rowland described the upcoming legislation as “truly world-leading.” The scope of the law will cover popular platforms like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and likely YouTube.

Representatives from TikTok declined to comment, and Meta, Alphabet, and X did not respond. However, the Digital Industry Group, representing these companies, argued that the ban could push young people towards unregulated parts of the internet, cutting them off from valuable support networks. “Keeping young people safe online is a priority,” DIGI Managing Director Sunita Bose said, but she warned the ban might be outdated. “Instead of blocking access, we need a balanced approach that offers age-appropriate spaces, builds digital literacy, and protects youth online.”

While France proposed a social media restriction for children under 15 last year, it allowed exemptions with parental consent. In the United States, existing regulations mandate parental consent for tech companies to collect data on children under 13, leading most platforms to restrict access for those under that age.

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