Australia is set to become the first country in the world to enforce a law requiring major social media platforms to block users under 16. Meta has begun preparing to restrict under-16 users ahead of the law, which takes effect on December 10.
Ten major platforms, including TikTok and YouTube, must comply or face fines of 49.5 million Australian dollars ($32m). The ban is expected to affect hundreds of thousands of teens; Instagram alone reports about 350,000 Australian users aged 13 to 15.
Some platforms such as Roblox, Pinterest and WhatsApp are exempt for now, though the list is still under review. Twitch was added less than two weeks before the law’s start date.
Meta says it will comply but argues that app stores—not platforms—should verify age to avoid teens having to confirm their age across multiple apps. YouTube has also criticised the law, claiming it could make teens “less safe” because under-16s could still access the site without accounts but would lose safety filters.
Communications Minister Anika Wells dismissed YouTube’s position as “weird,” saying platforms should address unsafe content themselves. She noted that harmful algorithms had contributed to teen suicides, adding that the law won’t fix everything but will help protect young people.
The Digital Freedom Project has challenged the law in Australia’s High Court, calling it an “unfair” restriction on free speech. Regulators admit teens may still attempt to bypass the rules using fake IDs, and no system will be fully effective.
Other countries are watching closely. Malaysia plans a similar ban next year, while the EU, France, Denmark, Greece, Romania and New Zealand have also expressed interest in setting minimum ages for social media.