Millions of Australian children just lost access to social media/ What's happening and will it work?

2025-12-10 07:44:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Millions of Australian children just lost access to social media/ What's

Children across Australia woke up on Wednesday without access to their social media accounts, under a world-first ban designed to protect teenagers under 16 from addictive algorithms, online hackers and digital bullies.

No other nation has taken such drastic measures, and the implementation of the new law is being closely watched by lawmakers across the globe.

The 10 banned platforms, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, Snapchat, YouTube, TikTok, Kick, Reddit, Twitch and X, say they will enforce the ban, using age verification technology to identify people under 16 and suspend their accounts, but do not believe it will make children safer.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said it was a "proud day" for Australia.

"This is the day Australian families are taking back the power from these big tech companies. They are standing up for the right of children to be children and for parents to have more peace of mind," Albanese told public broadcaster ABC on Wednesday. But he acknowledged it won't be easy.

Under the law, platforms must show they have taken reasonable steps to deactivate accounts used by people under 16 and prevent new accounts from being opened, to avoid fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars ($32 million).

Some children and their parents are expected to violate the ban, but there are no consequences for any of them.

What are the platforms doing?

Snapchat users will have their accounts suspended for three years or until they turn 16.

YouTube account holders will be automatically signed out on December 10. Their channels will no longer be visible, however, their data will be saved so they can reactivate their accounts when they turn 16. Children will still be able to watch YouTube without signing in.

TikTok says all accounts used by people under 16 will be disabled on December 10. It says it doesn't matter what email address is used or whose name is on the account, its age verification technology will determine who is using it. Content previously posted by younger users will no longer be viewable. The platform is also encouraging parents who believe their children may have lied about their age when they opened accounts to report them.

Twitch says no one under 16 in Australia will be allowed to create new accounts on the live streaming site, which is popular with gamers, from December 10, but existing accounts held by people under 16 will not be deactivated until January 9. The company did not respond to a request to explain the delay.

Meta began removing accounts belonging to teenagers under 16 on Instagram, Facebook, and Threads on December 4. Users were invited to download their content, and it will be there if they want to reactivate their account when they turn 16.

Reddit said it would suspend the accounts of users under the age of 16 and prevent new accounts from being opened.

X has not responded to questions about how it will enforce the ban, but strongly opposes the legislation as a violation of freedom of speech.

Kick, a live streaming service similar to Twitch, did not respond to a request for comment.

Which platforms are not included?

Along with the list of banned sites is a list of platforms that are not yet considered part of the ban. They are Discord, GitHub, Google Classroom, LEGO Play, Messenger, Pinterest, Roblox, Steam and Steam Chat, WhatsApp, and YouTube Kids.

The decision to remove Roblox was seen by many Australians as a strange choice, given recent reports claiming that children have been targeted by adult predators within its games.

Electronic Safety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said talks with Roblox began in June and that they agreed to introduce new controls which will be implemented this month in Australia, New Zealand and the Netherlands, as well as elsewhere in January.

Users will have to verify their age to activate the chat features and will only be able to chat with someone of a similar age.

How are platforms identifying accounts under 16?

The banned platforms already had a good idea of ??who was using their service from the date of birth that users entered when they opened an account, but the new law requires them to actively verify their age.

This has raised objections from some adult users who are concerned that they will be asked to verify their age. The Age Verification Technology test conducted earlier this year convinced the government that age checks can be done without compromising privacy.

Platforms are checking ages through live video selfies, email addresses or official documents. According to Yoti, an age verification company whose clients include Meta, most users opt for a video selfie that uses facial data to estimate age.