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Australian leader defends social media ban as teens flaunt workarounds
Australia’s ban on social media for under-16s deactivated 200,000 TikTok accounts but faces widespread workarounds including VPNs and facial scan circumvention, officials say.
- A new law in Australia requires major social media platforms to bar underage users or face hefty fines, prompting teens to brag about evading the ban.
- Some platforms not affected by the ban have seen a surge in downloads as teens seek alternatives, while searches for virtual private networks to mask location also spiked.
- The Australian government acknowledges the ban will take time to implement fully, and other countries have expressed interest in emulating the measure aimed at protecting children online.
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On December 10, 2025 it marked a historic moment for Australia: the law has entered into force that prohibits minors under 16 years of age access to major social media, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, Facebook and X. The measure, approved by the Australian Parliament in November 2024 after an arm wrestling with Big Tech, requires platforms to verify the age of users and block the accounts of minors, with fines up to 50 million Australian d…
·Rome, Italy
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Australian PM defends social media ban as teenagers flout new law
Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese on Thursday took aim at young people parading themselves on social media a day after a world-first ban on under-16s went live, saying the rollout was always going to be bumpy but would ultimately save lives.
·Ireland
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Total News Sources67
Leaning Left21Leaning Right8Center14Last UpdatedBias Distribution49% Left
Bias Distribution
- 49% of the sources lean Left
49% Left
L 49%
C 32%
R 19%
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