Australia’s under‑16 social media ban faces High Court challenge as major apps comply
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Australia's Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act — passed in November 2024 and enforced from December 10, 2025 — bars under‑16s from major platforms and requires companies to take “reasonable steps” such as multi‑layer age‑assurance (including government IDs or AI estimation), removal of existing under‑16 accounts and measures to prevent re‑registration (including VPN detection), with fines up to AU$49.5 million (~US$32–33M); eSafety has notified ten platforms, more than 200,000 TikTok accounts have been deactivated, and a preliminary compliance update is expected before Christmas.
The policy, framed by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as protecting youth mental health, is already facing legal challenge — the High Court has accepted a case brought by two 15‑year‑olds, with a hearing possible as early as February.
Social Media and Youth
Technology Regulation
Social Media Regulation