A World First: Australia Enforces Social Media Ban For Under-16s

Global Platforms Face $33 Million Penalty Risk: Account Creation Banned From YouTube To X

CANBERRA, Australia – Australia has enacted a new legal regulation that is a world first: It bans children under the age of 16 from accessing social media platforms. Consequently, this decision fundamentally changes how the country’s youth can create accounts and interact on digital platforms.

---

📝 Section 1: Scope Of The Ban And Penalties

The new regulation aims to protect the mental health and safety of children.

• Age Restriction: The law strictly prohibits all children under 16 from opening accounts on social media platforms.
• Platforms Covered: The ban includes leading global platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, Reddit, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter).
• Penalties: Global social media platforms face severe fines of up to approximately $33 million if they fail to comply with the law.
• YouTube Exception: According to the law, children under 16 can watch YouTube videos. However, since they cannot create accounts, they will be unable to upload content or interact on the platform.

---

🌐 Section 2: META Begins Account Closures

This regulation has led to the closure of hundreds of thousands of active social media accounts belonging to young people in Australia.

• Meta User Numbers: Data from Meta (owner of Facebook and Instagram) indicated that the country had approximately 350,000 Instagram and 150,000 Facebook users aged 13–15.
• Closure Process: The U.S. technology company Meta began closing approximately half a million accounts in Australia as of December 4th, coinciding with the law’s enforcement.

---

🌍 Section 3: The World’s Only Example

This Social Media Ban makes Australia the only country globally with such strict digital platform restrictions for this age group.

• Objective: Authorities aim for the ban to help protect children from issues like peer bullying, inappropriate content, and addiction.
• International Impact: Australia’s radical step may lead other countries to initiate discussions on similar regulations to ensure the safety of children in the digital world.

This law requires technology companies to re-evaluate their global age verification and data management policies.