Australian lawmakers approved a nationwide ban preventing children under 16 from holding accounts on major social-media platforms, creating one of the world’s strictest age limits for the services. The measure places responsibility for compliance on the platforms and allows penalties of up to 50 million Australian dollars, reported as about $33 million, for systemic failures to keep underage users from maintaining accounts.
The House of Representatives passed the bill 102-13 before the Senate approved it on the final day of the parliamentary session. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s Labor government backed the measure, as did much of the opposition Liberal Party. Platforms were given one year to determine how to enforce the age threshold.
The restrictions covered services including X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and Reddit, while excluding YouTube. The law did not provide exceptions for parental permission or for accounts that children already held. Messaging services such as WhatsApp, online games such as Roblox and essential health and education services were expected to remain available.
Supporters argued that excessive use exposed children to harmful material, including damaging body-image content aimed at girls and misogynistic content directed at boys. A YouGov poll released during the legislative debate found support from 77% of Australians, up from 61% in August. Families of teenagers who died by suicide after alleged online bullying had also pressed for stronger protections.
The enforcement system remained unresolved at passage. Officials planned trials that could include biometrics or government identification for age checks, prompting privacy concerns. A Senate committee recommended that platforms provide alternatives rather than require passports or other digital identification. It also said companies should delete personal information promptly after verifying a user’s age.
Technology companies and critics argued that the legislation moved too quickly and left key questions unanswered. Google, Meta and TikTok owner ByteDance sought a delay for further assessment and consultation. Opposing senator Matt Canavan noted that a one-day consultation window produced 15,000 submissions, more than lawmakers could adequately examine.
Researchers and youth advocates warned that a blanket restriction could isolate vulnerable children who use social media for peer support, community, education and access to mental-health information. Suicide Prevention Australia said removing those connections could worsen loneliness. Critics also questioned whether excluding some anonymous web platforms would leave children able to access particularly harmful online spaces.
The law’s practical reach could extend beyond teenagers because platforms may need to verify the age of all users to identify those under 16. Seventeen-year-old news presenter Leo Puglisi argued that this could affect his audience and young journalists, while digital communication professor Daniel Angus said disadvantaged, rural and minority children could lose important channels for civic participation and support.
Passage settled the political decision to impose the age floor, but not the technical and social questions surrounding it. The following year’s implementation period was set to determine which verification methods platforms adopted, how privacy would be protected and whether exempt services would limit the ban’s effectiveness.
