Australia will this week roll out a landmark ban preventing anyone under 16 from holding an account on major social media platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and others—making it the first Western nation in the world to introduce such sweeping restrictions.
The law, passed by Parliament last year, takes effect Wednesday and requires platforms to identify and remove underage users or face fines of up to $33 million.
Under the new rules, social media companies must use a combination of behavioural signals, photo analysis and account activity to detect minors and stop them from bypassing age limits through fake IDs, AI-generated images, deepfakes or VPNs.
The government says the measure is designed to shield young people “at a critical stage of their development,” pointing to concerns about online harms.
Tech firms have pushed back, calling the legislation confusing, rushed and technically difficult to enforce. Meta has already begun deleting under-16 accounts ahead of the deadline, while TikTok and Snapchat warn the policy could drive children to unregulated spaces online. Reddit has been among the harshest critics, describing the law as “arbitrary” and legally flawed.
Australia’s move comes amid a growing globalist-aligned push for age-verification standards.
The European Parliament recently backed a non-binding proposal for a minimum social-media age of 16, and several European nations are trialling verification apps.
Image credit: Omkar Patyane
And just like that Digital ID is implemented.
Under 16’s now.
Over 16’s next.