Australia’s Social Media Ban for Under-16s Comes Into Effect

Other countries, including Malaysia and Denmark, as well as various states across the United States, are either bringing in similar controls or attempting to.

Three 11-year-old boys use their phones while sitting outside a school in Sydney on Dec. 8, 2025. Rick RycroftAP Photo

A social media ban for those younger than 16 in Australia came into effect on Dec. 10, with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hailing the world’s first restriction of its kind as giving children back their childhoods.

As of Dec. 10, according to the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act, social media platforms must stop under-16s in Australia from signing up for accounts and must begin phasing out existing accounts for underage children.