Australia becomes first country to ban under-16s from social media, sparking global watch

Australia has switched off social media access for millions of teens, enforcing a world-first law that bans anyone under 16 from major platforms, with fines as high as $33m for companies that fail to keep them out.

The ban, active from midnight Wednesday local time, targets 10 of the world’s biggest platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat, Reddit, Twitch, Kick, Threads and X. Apps like WhatsApp, Pinterest and Roblox are exempt for now, but the government says the list will evolve.

Canberra frames the move as overdue protection against what it calls “predatory algorithms” feeding kids bullying, sexual content and violence.

“Too often, social media isn’t social at all,” said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. “It’s used as a weapon for bullies… a driver of anxiety… a tool for online predators.”

The rollout is sweeping: platforms must verify users’ ages using government IDs or facial recognition, and deactivate accounts belonging to Australian minors. Al Jazeera’s Danielle Robertson reports that young users woke up to “a new online world,” one where many accounts were simply gone overnight.

Parents and child-safety advocates have applauded the move. Tech firms and digital-rights groups are furious. YouTube blasted the law as “rushed,” warning it could push kids to unregulated spaces instead. Legal challenges are likely; Reddit hasn’t ruled out taking the law to Australia’s High Court, while the Digital Freedom Project has already filed to restore teens’ online access.

Far beyond Australia, governments are taking notes. Denmark, Malaysia and several US states are considering similar age-based restrictions, meaning Sydney’s experiment might be the beginning of something much bigger, or the spark for a global backlash.