Australia weighs tougher under-16 social media ban
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the government is reviewing whether its child social media ban gives regulators enough power.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
3 min read
Australia is preparing to tighten its ban on social media accounts for children under 16, after researchers and regulators pointed to signs that many underage users remain on major platforms. The move could sharpen one of the world’s most closely watched attempts to keep children off social networks, according to The Associated Press.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told Parliament on Thursday that his government is reviewing ways to make the ban stronger, the AP reported. He said the government was treating the work as a priority because the issue is complex and did not confront earlier generations in the same way.
Albanese told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. on Friday that officials were examining whether the law is strong enough and whether eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant has all the powers she needs, according to the AP. Inman Grant leads Australia’s online safety regulator.
The law took effect on Dec. 10, 2025, and bars children younger than 16 from holding accounts on platforms including Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, the AP reported. Australia was the first country to pass such legislation, and several other governments have since moved toward age-based limits on children’s access to social media.
Evidence of continued use
Lisa Given, an information sciences expert at Melbourne’s RMIT University, told the AP that the government’s proposed changes appear to respond to evidence that the ban is not working as intended. She cited eSafety data released in March showing that seven in 10 underage children still had accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok after the ban began.
Given also pointed to a study published Wednesday in the British Medical Journal that found 85% of a group of Australian 12- to 17-year-olds were using restricted platforms, according to the AP. She said media reports from children themselves had also described the policy as ineffective.
In April, Inman Grant said she was considering court action against Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube over allegations that they had not done enough to keep underage Australian children off their services, the AP reported. Those platforms, along with X, Kick, Reddit, Threads and Twitch, can face fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars, or $34 million, if they fail to take reasonable steps to remove underage accounts.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported in early June that Inman Grant said in an interview that she did not have strong powers and that regulators depend on the tools and resources they are given, according to the AP. The AP said it asked Inman Grant’s office on Friday to comment on the accuracy of that report, but did not receive an immediate response.
Given told the AP that Inman Grant faces a difficult enforcement task because platforms are resisting the law. She said either the regulator needs more authority or Australia needs another method to enforce the ban, and she expected courts to help define what the law means by “reasonable steps.”
Other countries watching
Britain announced plans last week to ban children under 16 from a range of platforms to protect them from harmful content and excessive screen time, the AP reported. Canada, Brazil and Indonesia have introduced legislation or announced age-based restrictions or requirements, while France, Spain, Denmark, Thailand and South Korea are studying or developing similar approaches.
Albanese said his government also intends to proceed with digital duty of care legislation, according to the AP. That proposal would make platforms accountable for foreseeable harms linked to content and algorithms.
This story draws on original reporting from NPR.