On Wednesday, December 10, 2025, Australia will enforce its blockbuster social media ban – officially titled "Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024."

This legislation aims to stop children under the age of 16 from accessing a wide range of social media applications, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Reddit. The ban is the first of its kind to come into effect, although countries such as Denmark, Norway, and France are also considering similar measures.

The bill was passed in November 2024, and states that tech companies that do not take "reasonable steps" to enforce the bill will face fines of up to AU$49.5m (US$32m). Controversially, however, each individual platform will decide how it verifies a user's age, rather than using a centralized system.

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