Why Australia is Banning Social Media for Kids Under 16
From December 10, young teenagers in Australia will be banned, under new legislation, from social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok – one of the toughest online crackdowns in the democratic world.
The law, passed by parliament in 2024, aims to protect children from toxic elements of social media such as bullying, grooming and sexual extortion, as well as youth suicides linked to online abuse.
Under the new legislation, children under the age of 16 will no longer be allowed to have their own social media accounts. Kids of all ages will still be able to scroll through content without logging into an account, if the platform offers that capability, but they won’t be able to post, comment or message other users.
Social media platforms must comply by preventing under-16s from creating accounts or evading the restrictions. They must also deactivate or remove existing underage accounts from December 10. Companies that breach the law face fines of up to A$50 million ($32 million) for a single breach.
Australia’s new law has been years in the making. The evidence is clear that young people’s experience with social media, including Meta’s own internal research, has negative effects on their lives.
> Eating disorders are up 200% over the last 12 years for Australians, with a significant increase among 14-16 year olds. Research shows that within 8 minutes, TikTok served content related to eating disorders. Every 39 seconds, TikTok recommended videos about body image and mental health to teens.
> Sextortion cases are on the rise with children as young as 12 being targeted on social media and messaging platforms.
> Misogyny and harmful attitudes infiltrate the minds of teen boys in Australia as social media algorithms push “popular” personalities who perpetuate harmful gender stereotypes.
> Suicide and self-harm have skyrocketed in children under 19 with a 3-fold increase in the rate of self-harm hospitalisation of girls.
Increasing the minimum age on social media is crucial for safeguarding children’s healthy development and delaying their exposure to harmful content. Kids are no match for the power of social media, says Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant.
Australia’s blanket ban is unique, and is described as a world-first. While several US states have attempted to curb children’s access to social media, many of those measures make exemptions for kids who have parental consent.
For tech giants such as Meta, YouTube, Snapchat and TikTok, the financial impact could be substantial. According to the eSafety Commissioner, about 95% of 10- to 15-year-olds in Australia have at least one social media account. That means platform operators will no longer be able to monetize roughly 2.5 million underage users.
Many countries are now considering raising the minimum age for social media users, or are already working toward passing similar legislation. New Zealand in May followed Australia and proposed a social media ban for under-16s, and Denmark has laid out plans to bar under-15s from social media. “We have unleashed a monster,” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told the country’s parliament on October 7, referring to social media. The EU is also looking to follow Australia’s lead on teen social media ban. Singapore is also studying age limits for social media and has discussed the issue with Australia.
References: NDTV/Bloomberg; Collective Shout