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 attempting to or will bring in similar controls.

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

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

From Wednesday, social media platforms must stop under-16s in Australia from signing up for accounts and must begin phasing out existing accounts for those under age.