Australia has become the first country to ban social media access for children under 16, starting Wednesday, December 10, 2025. Platforms affected include TikTok, Alphabet’s YouTube, and Meta’s Instagram and Facebook.
Under the new law, ten major platforms were ordered to block users under 16 from midnight (1300 GMT Tuesday) or face fines of up to A$49.5 million ($33 million). The legislation has drawn criticism from tech giants and free speech advocates, but was welcomed by parents and child safety groups.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called it “a proud day” for families, framing the law as a necessary step to curb online harms that have outpaced traditional safeguards.
“This is the day when Australian families are taking back power from these big tech companies,” Albanese told news outlets. “New technology can do wonderful things, but we need to make sure humans are in control of our own destiny, and that is what this is about”.
In a video message set to be shown in schools this week, the Prime Minister encouraged children to “start a new sport, a new instrument, or read that book that has been sitting there on your shelf”, ahead of Australia’s summer school break.
The rollout concludes a year-long debate over whether governments could effectively restrict children’s access to platforms embedded in daily life. Australia now serves as a live test for the world, with countries including Denmark, New Zealand, and Malaysia signalling interest in studying or emulating its age-gating model.
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