AUSTRALIA has enacted a world-first prohibition on social media use by children under the age of 16, compelling ten of the largest digital platforms to bar underage users from midnight on Wednesday or face penalties of up to A$49.5 million (about RM135 million).
The move has drawn sharp criticism from major technology companies and civil liberties advocates, yet has been welcomed by many parents and child-protection groups.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hailed the policy as “a proud day” for Australian families, presenting it as proof that governments can reclaim control over online spaces that have outpaced traditional safeguards.
“This is the day when Australian families are taking back power from these big tech companies,” he told ABC News. “New technology can do wonderful things but we need to make sure that humans are in control of our own destiny and that is what this is about.”
In a video message, he encouraged young people to embrace offline pursuits ahead of the summer school holidays. “Start a new sport, new instrument, or read that book that has been sitting there for some time on your shelf,” he said.
Reuters cited on Wednesday that, in the lead-up to the cut-off, many of the estimated one million children affected by the legislation posted farewell messages to their followers.
“No more social media… no more contact with the rest of the world,” one teenager wrote on TikTok, while another added “#seeyouwhenim16”.
The measure follows a year of national debate over whether any government could meaningfully restrict access to platforms that form part of daily life for most teenagers.
Canberra argued that decisive intervention was needed, citing research showing a link between excessive social media use and declining mental health among young adolescents, including exposure to misinformation, bullying and harmful body-image content.
The initiative has attracted global attention, with countries including Denmark, New Zealand and Malaysia signalling interest in studying or emulating Australia’s model.
The law is widely seen as a test of how far governments can push age-gating without curbing free expression or hindering technological innovation.
Elon Musk’s X was the final platform to confirm compliance, publicly acknowledging on Wednesday that it would implement the required restrictions.
“It’s not our choice – it’s what the Australian law requires,” the company stated. “X automatically offboards anyone who does not meet our age requirements.”
Authorities have indicated that the roster of regulated platforms will evolve as new products emerge and young users migrate to alternative services.
Technology companies have informed the government that enforcement will rely on a combination of age inference based on behavioural patterns, age estimation using selfies, and verification checks such as uploaded identification or linked bank account details.
For the platforms, the ban marks a new phase of structural stagnation as user growth plateaus and engagement declines.
Although companies say they earn little from advertising to under-16s, they caution that the ban disrupts a vital pipeline of future users.
Prior to the prohibition, 86 per cent of Australians aged eight to 15 used social media, according to government figures.
Some young people have warned that the blanket ban may have unintended consequences.
Fourteen-year-old Annie Wang said, “It’s going to be worse for queer people and people with niche interests I guess because that’s the only way they can find their community. Some people also use it to vent their feelings and talk to people to get help … So I feel like it’ll be fine for some people, but for some people it’ll worsen their mental health.”
As the policy takes effect, governments worldwide will be watching to see whether Australia’s experiment can meaningfully reduce online harm without deepening isolation among the very young people it seeks to protect. - December 10, 2025
