Australia: Australia begins enforcing its world-first ban on social media for children under 16, with the legislation officially coming into full effect on Wednesday (Dec 10). The move marks a significant shift in global digital governance, setting a benchmark for how governments worldwide may intervene to safeguard young users online.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has described the move as essential to ensuring ‘children have a childhood’, with federal laws now requiring social media platforms to take reasonable steps to block underage accounts. The new law, known as the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024, was passed by the Australian Parliament in November last year. Platforms subject to the ban include TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, X (formerly Twitter), Reddit, and YouTube.

Under the legislation, the responsibility for compliance rests entirely on technology companies rather than parents or young users. Corporations that fail to enforce the age restriction face systematic penalties, with fines of up to A$49.5 million (US$32 million). There are no penalties for children who bypass the restrictions or for their parents.