Australia’s sweeping ban on social media for users under 16 is now taking effect, and major platforms — Meta’s Facebook, Instagram and Threads, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube — have begun locking out young users after more than a year of opposing the law. The ban, which carries penalties of up to A$49.5 million (US$33 million) for non-compliance, is being described by the country’s internet regulator as the first step in a global push to curb Big Tech’s influence on children.
eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said she initially had reservations about the “blunt-force” decision to remove all under-16s from social media but concluded that smaller reforms had failed. She argued that the persuasive and intentionally addictive design of social platforms leaves even adults vulnerable, making children effectively defenceless. “Our data is the currency that fuels these companies … what chance do our children have?” she said, calling the ban a turning point.
Governments around the world are watching the rollout closely, and Inman Grant suggested that tech companies resisted so fiercely because they feared this would become the “first domino” in a trend that spreads internationally. Platforms lobbied against the law for more than a year but have now confirmed they will comply rather than risk massive fines.
Although the ban formally begins on December 10, Instagram, Facebook and Threads started deactivating underage accounts from Thursday, according to screenshots reviewed by Reuters. Other platforms have begun notifying users under 16, instructing them to download their data and choose between deleting their accounts or freezing them until their 16th birthday.
Parents and supporters of the reform argue that the move will ease psychological and social pressure on young people. A Sydney mother, Jennifer Jennison, welcomed the policy, saying concerns about mental health made the ban overdue: “Give my kids a break after school and they can rest and hang out with the family.”
Inman Grant also revealed that platform lobbying included outreach to the US government, which has asked her to testify before the House Judiciary Committee over what it called an attempt to impose Australia’s standards on American free speech. She did not say whether she would attend but noted the irony: their request itself amounted to extraterritorial pressure.
With 96% of Australians under 16 currently on social media, the law represents one of the most sweeping digital-safety crackdowns in the world — and it is expected to fuel similar legislative debates in other countries.
