Is Australia’s social media ban for under 16s working?
When Australia banned under 16-year-olds from using social media in December 2025, it became a test case for a policy now being pursued by governments around the world...
When Australia banned under 16-year-olds from using social media in December 2025, it became a test case for a policy now being pursued by governments around the world...
Many parents want social media platforms to do more to keep children safe online. But when safety tools involve scanning private messages, the question becomes more complicated: where does protection end and surveillance begin?...
Australia’s under-16 social media ban has only been in place since December 2025, but families are already feeling the impact. For some, it’s brought relief and clearer rules. For others, it’s complicated how kids connect — and how parents enforce the limits. A circuit-breaker for family conflict...
‘Make the platforms safer’: what young people really think about the social media ban, writ researchers Kim Osman, Lynrose Jane Genon and Michael Dezuanni On December 10th, thousands of young Australians under 16 lost access to their accounts across ten social media platforms, as the teen...
Help teens understand these reactions are normal. Social media platforms are designed to keep users hooked, write Christiane Kehoe and Elizabeth Westrupp Watching your teenager grieve the loss of their social media account can be confronting. Many are genuinely distressed or struggling with the change, and many...
As Australia prepares to introduce a social media ban for under-16s on December 10, many children are worried about losing touch with their friends. While platforms must take steps to block underage accounts, experts say the real work will happen at home – where parents will...
Will it make a difference? Asks Luke Beck Two teenagers are taking the federal government to the High Court. They argue the ban on social media accounts for under-16s is unconstitutional because it interferes with free political communication. The ban is due to take effect on December...
With Australia’s under-16 social media ban starting December 10, young online creators and teen entrepreneurs face a new reality: rebuild, relocate, or lose the audiences they’ve spent years building. Families are asking: what happens next? Can Young Australian Creators Survive the Social Media Ban? When Australia’s world-first...
Details on how Australia’s social media ban for under-16s will work are finally becoming clear, writes Lisa M. Given The Australian government today released regulatory guidance on the social media minimum age law, which comes into effect on December 10. The law will restrict individuals under...
Australia’s new social media laws start in December – but experts say mums, dads and carers are still the most important line of defence when it comes to online safety. New Social Media Laws Begin in December From 10 December 2025, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and...