Australia Prepares for Social Media Ban on Under-16s

The Australian government has begun a public education campaign with tips on how to wean children off social media ahead of a world-first national 16-year age limit taking effect in December. Australian eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said Friday that information on her agency's website, esafety.gov.au, explained the new laws and how to navigate them. Starting Dec. 10, platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X, and YouTube could be fined up to $33 million if they don't take reasonable steps to prevent Australians younger than 16 from holding accounts.

Messages raising awareness will also be shared starting Sunday across digital channels, television, radio, and billboards, the AP reports. "We want children to have childhoods. We want parents to have peace of mind and we want young people—young Australians—to have three more years to learn who they are before platforms assume who they are," Communications Minister Anika Wells told reporters, referring to the current de facto 13-year age limit for social media accounts based on US privacy legislation.

The Australian age restrictions have already proved polarizing, with some experts warning the changes will harm as well as protect children. More than 140 Australian and international academics signed an open letter to the government last year opposing a social media age limit as "too blunt an instrument to address risks effectively." Despite that warning, the law passed with resounding support last year. The platforms had a year to figure out how to comply without foolproof technology available to verify ages.

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Inman Grant said the social media age restriction would be a "very monumental event for a lot of young people."

• Her agency offers checklists and conversation starters about ways to make the transition, such as following an online influencer through a website rather than a social media account, she said.
• "How do we start weaning them from social media now so it isn't a shock on Dec. 10? How do we help them download their archives and their memories and how do we make sure that they're in touch with friends and are aware of mental health support if they're feeling down when they're not tethered to their phones over the holiday period?" she added.