US EditionMeta Shuts Down Australian Teens' Social Media Accounts Ahead of the Country's 'World-First' Ban
Australia imposes a social media age limit of 16 with fines up to A$50 million per breach amid concerns over youth mental health and cyberbullying.
- On Dec. 10 the law requires major platforms including Facebook and TikTok to block under‑16 accounts with no parental‑consent exceptions or face fines up to 50 million Australian dollars.
- The government says evidence links heavy social media use to anxiety, depression and body-image risks, while Emma Mason, lawyer and mother, urges a minimum age of 16 after her daughter Tilly's online abuse.
- Platforms must adopt mixed age‑assurance tools rather than only government IDs, with Meta using Yoti and YouTube tying age estimates to Google account signals during mass sign‑outs and verification.
- About 96% of Australia's teenagers under 16 already use social media, so many will lose access, with 15-year-old Elsie Ord set to spend seven months offline and young creators fearing lost sponsorships.
- Civil‑liberties groups and digital‑rights advocates warn enforcing a hard age line expands ID collection and surveillance, while John Riddick, NSW MP and president of the Digital Freedom Project, backs a High Court challenge.
23 Articles
23 Articles
Australia is the first country in the world to ban the use of social media for under-16s. Experts are critical of this step – also because the age review of the platforms has not yet worked reliably. Nevertheless, there are already imitators in Europe.
TikTok has confirmed it will comply with new Australian laws, banning users under 16 from December 10th, stating it is necessary to comply with the law, despite some users being upset.
News diary 8-14 December: Australia enacts under-16 social media ban, Time reveals Person of the Year and UK GDP estimate
The week begins with focus down under, as Australia makes a significant move to cut screen use among children with its social media ban for those under 16 years old. Facebook and Instagram have reportedly already begun shutting down thousands of accounts belonging to Australian children under the age of 16 on a week before the deadline. Later in the week, Time magazine reveals its Person of the Year, which spotlights the person, group or idea th…
Australia to require monthly reports of removed underage social media accounts
The Australian eSafety Commissioner announced on Wednesday that social media companies will be required to disclose the number of underage accounts they terminate every month, following a law that sets age restrictions for the most popular social media sites. The Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024 bars anyone under the age of 16 from making an account on many large social media sites and will remove the existing accounts…
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