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Social media platforms in Australia will be banned from allowing children under 16 to hold accounts, with companies facing fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars (£24.8m) if they fail to comply.

From December 10, platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube, and Twitch must report monthly on how many underage accounts they close.

The Australian eSafety Commissioner will issue notices to the 10 platforms on December 11 requesting details of accounts removed, with follow-up reports due each month for six months.

Communications minister Anika Wells said: “The government recognises that age assurance may take several days or weeks to complete fairly and accurately. However, if eSafety identifies systemic breaches of the law,

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