‘Social Media Lockout’ in Australia for Users Under Sixteen

The digital era is booming, and there’s now the concern that social media is dominating the daily life for young people. That concern is one that Australia is now taking action on, with its government implementing a full-on nationwide lockout of all users under 16 years of age.

From 10 December, Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X and YouTube must remove accounts belonging to children under 16. Platforms must also submit monthly reports showing how many underage accounts they closed or face fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars.

The Australian eSafety Commissioner will issue notices to the platforms on December 11, requiring them to disclose how many accounts they have removed.

Communications Minister Anika Wells said the measure responds to growing evidence that platforms are failing to protect children. “The government recognises that age assurance may require time to complete fairly and accurately. However, if eSafety identifies systemic breaches of the law, the platforms will face fines,” Wells said.

YouTube confirmed it will automatically sign out all Australian users under 16. “This is a disappointing update to share,” Google’s YouTube said. “This law will not fulfil its promise to make kids safer online and will, in fact, make Australian kids less safe on YouTube.”

Meta said it will begin removing suspected underage users from Thursday.

Australia’s move is being closely watched by governments weighing similar age limits. Malaysia plans to bar users under 16 from social media in the coming year. Meanwhile, France already requires platforms to verify users’ ages and secure parental consent for anyone under 15, and Denmark is preparing its own ban for under-15 users, while Italy has laws that require parental consent for social media use for those under 14.