Australia is poised to become the first country to impose a nationwide restriction on social media accounts for children under 16, with new rules taking effect on December 10. The law targets major platforms but excludes gaming and messaging apps, prompting debate over its effectiveness and consistency.
Australia will soon introduce a first-of-its-kind national restriction on social media use by younger teens, with new rules requiring major platforms to limit account creation by children under 16.
Beginning on Wednesday, December 10, the law will require social media services including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, and X to take “reasonable steps” to prevent users under 16 from setting up accounts. Platforms that fail to comply could face civil penalties of up to $49.5 million, according to Australia’s eSafety Commissioner.
The Australian government has cited a commissioned study to justify the move, saying that more than 70% of children aged 10 to 15 who use social media are exposed to harmful content. Officials say such material can include sexist or misogynistic posts, depictions of dangerous online challenges or fight videos, and content that promotes unhealthy eating or exercise habits.
“Delaying children’s access to social media accounts gives them valuable time to learn and grow, free of the powerful, unseen forces of harmful and deceptive design features such as opaque algorithms and endless scroll,” eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman said in a statement quoted by The Daily Wire. “This important normative change will be invaluable to parents and young people alike – creating friction or a check in the online ecosystem that previously did not exist.”
The government has also argued that the policy enjoys broad support from parents and will reduce the risks children face online, according to reporting from the BBC summarized by The Daily Wire.
However, the rules do not cover all digital platforms used by children. Messaging and gaming apps such as Discord, Roblox, and Steam are excluded under the legislative framework, an Australian government official told The Daily Wire. The decision to leave those services off the age‑restricted list has drawn scrutiny from critics who question whether the law will significantly curb online harm.
“It is a little bit of a red flag. I don’t agree with doing it this way at all, but it does make it harder for the government to make its case when you have gaming apps and AI chatbots exempted,” said Jessica Melugin, director of the Center for Technology & Innovation at the Competitive Enterprise Institute. “It seems like a strange line to draw.”
Melugin warned that the measure could foster a “false sense of security” among parents, who might assume the government has fully solved the problem of online safety. She argued that ongoing family conversations about how to stay safe online remain essential.
Australia’s exclusions for Roblox, Discord, Steam and similar platforms have been particularly controversial given previous safety concerns. Roblox, an online gaming platform widely used by children, has faced criticism for allowing adults to interact with minors. Australian officials have said that the platform has given predators opportunities to groom children. In September, after pressure from the eSafety Commissioner’s office, Roblox committed to introducing additional safety measures.
“We know that when it comes to platforms that are popular with children, they also become popular with adult predators seeking to prey on them. Roblox is no exception and has become a popular target for pedophiles seeking to groom children,” Inman said at the time, according to The Daily Wire.
Roblox was also sued by Texas in 2024, with state Attorney General Ken Paxton describing the service as “a habitual destination for child predators,” the outlet reported. Discord has separately faced scrutiny over reports that child sex predators, extremists and terrorists have used the platform to target young people.
Some of the large technology companies affected by the Australian law have criticized the government’s approach while preparing to comply. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and Threads, said families should make decisions about which apps teenagers can use.
“To comply with Australia’s Social Media Minimum Age Law, teens under 16 will begin losing access to Facebook, Instagram, and Threads next month. While we’re committed to meeting our legal obligations, we’ve consistently raised concerns about this law,” a Meta spokesman told The Daily Wire. “Experts, youth groups, and many parents agree that blanket bans are not the solution—they isolate teens from online communities and information, while providing inconsistent protection across the many apps they use. There’s a better way: legislation that empowers parents to approve app downloads and verify age allows families—not the government—to decide which apps teens can access.”
Meta argues that safety tools such as its “teen accounts,” rolled out last year, can limit who contacts young users and give parents more oversight, and says these features are a better way to protect children than broad prohibitions.
The new law is already facing a legal challenge from two 15‑year‑old Australians, who contend it violates their right to free expression, according to the BBC as cited by The Daily Wire. “We shouldn’t be silenced. It’s like Orwell’s book 1984, and that scares me,” said 15‑year‑old Macy Neyland. Noah Jones, the other teenager involved in the challenge, added: “We are the true digital natives and we want to remain educated, robust, and savvy in our digital world. … They should protect kids with safeguards, not silence.”
Australia’s move fits into a wider global push to regulate children’s social media use. Following Canberra’s decision, Malaysia introduced a similar ban, The Daily Wire reported. In the United States, Utah passed a law in 2023 requiring social media platforms to verify users’ ages and obtain parental consent for minors’ accounts. Parts of the Utah measure have since been temporarily blocked by a federal judge while legal challenges proceed.
Lawmakers, technology companies, parents and child-safety advocates are now watching closely to see how Australia’s restrictions are implemented and whether they can significantly reduce online harms without unduly limiting young people’s access to digital spaces.