Australia’s social media ban: The key facts and results so far:

January 6, 2026

Australia’s social media ban: The key facts and results so far: HPFSS member Natasha Puttick Ba (Oxon) and a 3rd year MBBS student at Bart’s and the London looks at Australia’s social media ban

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HPFSS member Natasha Puttick Ba (Oxon) and a 3rd year MBBS student at Bart’s and the London looks at Australia’s social media ban

The key facts:

How it works:

Australia’s much discussed social media ban for under 16s came into force on the 10th of December after the passing of the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) in late November. The law introduces a minimum age for accounts on Youtube, X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Reddit, Twitch, Threads (a X-like mimic owned by Meta operated through instagram) and Kick. If tech companies fail to comply to take ‘reasonable steps to prevent under-16s from having accounts’ they could face fines of up to $50 million AUD. There are a number of options being offered for social media companies to work out your age, such as scanning an ID or estimating age based on a photo or video. Crucially, users cannot self-certify and parents cannot vouch for under-age children. Though, as discussed later it is now evident that these methods are not wholly effective and many under 16s are currently still able to access social media. 

The why:

The government argues that this will aim to lessen the negative impact of social media’s  “design features that encourage [young people] to spend more time on screens, while also serving up content that can harm their health and wellbeing”. A study commissioned by the Australian government in early 2025 found that 96% of children aged 10-15 used social media, and 70% of them had reported being exposed to harmful content such as violent or misogynistic material as well as content promoting eating disorders and other harmful health behaviours. Other concerning findings included one in seven children reporting grooming-type behaviour from older children and adults. Among Australians the social media ban is a very popular policy with 77% of the population supporting the ban. 

It is however being challenged by two 15-year-olds in the High Court, arguing this “disregards the rights of children” (BBC News, 26/11/25). However, the communications minister Anika Wells appeared completely unperturbed stating “We will not be intimidated by threats. We will not be intimidated by legal challenges. We will not be intimidated by big tech. On behalf of Australian parents, we will stand firm.” 

Interestingly, Denmark has since announced plans to ban social media for under-15s, with Norway and Brazil considering a similar proposal. A French parliamentary has also recommended banning social media for under-15s and a ‘curfew’ for under 18s. Additionally, the Spanish government has drafted a law requiring legal guardians give permission for under-16s,

How effective has this been:

At the time of writing, it has been 26 days since the ban was introduced, so a relatively short amount of time to make a judgement on the efficacy. On the day the ban was introduced approximately 200,000 accounts were deactivated on TikTok alone. Research by the Guardian asked parents to submit how the ban affected their families with readers reporting “Our son can no longer access his apps – this has already had a profound effect. This morning my son said, “Mum, do you want to do something with me after school today, like putt putt or something else together?” Normally he would be consumed with his phone, watching mind-numbing videos.”, “We see this as a lifeline. Our daughter is hopelessly addicted to her phone, and less time on socials – and with more meaningful connection – has to be a good thing.” (Josh Taylor for the Guardian, 10/12/25)

Anecdotally, when the prime minister posted on his own social media discussing the ban, his replies were mostly teenagers saying they had avoided the ban. At a visit to a Canberra school, students told him that many of their friends continued to use social media unaffected. As seen in the same Guardian article: “Some friends are banned, some are not. Most are getting around the ban leading to [the] exclusion of a minority.”, “My 13-year-old daughter had no trouble passing Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram age verifications. She’s now doing them for all of her friends”. Data also suggests that Australian teenagers have rushed to download alternative apps, with Lemon8, an app owned by the same company that owns Tiktok; ByteDance being the most downloaded lifestyle app on Apple the same week the ban came in. Ellese Ferdinands, lecturer at the University of Sydney’s Business School, argues that the rise of obscure apps, previously unpopular in Australia, highlights the limits of the Australian government’s ban. 

The government is expected to release data confirming that under-16s accounts have been removed, requesting user numbers from the ten social media platforms. Notably, the online safety regulator will be tracking other data points to check for signs of improvements in mental health and school test scores. A review of the law is expected to happen in 2027. Only time will tell how successful this has been, but what is evident is that for any change to be possible bold action from committed politicians is required. 

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