Australia has enacted a world-first ban on social media for users under 16, forcing platforms like TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, Snapchat, Reddit, Kick, Twitch and Threads to remove accounts held by minors from Wednesday. The ban, supported by two-thirds of voters according to polls, aims to protect young people from online harms, but early reports indicate teething problems with age verification.
Guardian Australia received reports of under-16s passing facial age assurance tests, while some parents expressed concern that their children were being left out of social circles. One parent said their 15-year-old daughter was “very distressed” because friends had been verified as 18 by Snapchat, while she was correctly identified as under 16. Another parent admitted teaching their child to use VPNs to bypass restrictions, saying “I’ve had to set her up with her own adult YouTube account.”
Most platforms except X had confirmed compliance by Tuesday. The eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, said she had discussed compliance with X but the company had not communicated its policy to users. Bluesky, an X alternative with only 50,000 Australian users, also announced it would ban under-16s despite being assessed as “low risk”.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese acknowledged the ban would not be “100% perfect” but stressed its symbolic importance, comparing it to the legal drinking age. The opposition, which initially supported the legislation, has recently voiced alarm. The ban has attracted global attention, with Malaysia, Denmark, Norway and the European Union considering similar measures, and the British government monitoring Australia’s approach.
From Thursday, the eSafety commissioner will send notices to platforms to assess implementation progress, including numbers of accounts deactivated, challenges faced, and measures to prevent circumvention. The regulator will evaluate whether platforms are taking reasonable steps, with potential enforcement if they are not.
