The Australian Parliament passed the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act in late 2024 and it came into effect on 10 December 2025.
The Act requires certain online social media platforms to prevent under-16-year-olds from holding accounts.
The legislation in action
The age restriction is administered and enforced by the eSafety Commissioner. The Commissioner has published extensive details about the age restriction in practice, including a compliance update in March 2026, on the eSafety website.
There is also information specifically for young people, parents, educators and other stakeholder groups on eSafety’s Social Media Age Restrictions Hub.
Background
This ABC News article from June 2024 provides some background to the debate that took place before the legislation was introduced.
Support for the proposed ban
- This article in Crikey, from journalist Charlotte Mortlock, makes a case for the ban.
- Why I support Australia’s age ban by Chanel Contos (Founder of Teach Us Consent and the author of Consent Laid Bare)
- Submission to the 2024 Joint Select Committee on Social Media and Australian Society from the Australian Parents Council (representing parents at non-government schools).
Opposition
There was significant opposition to the idea, reported as follows:
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- Instead of banning young people from social media Anthony Albanese needs to listen to them by university student and activist Jess Travers-Wolf (Guardian, November 2024)
- Social media helped me find my voice. It’s a shame others won’t have the same chance by climate activist Anjali Sharma
- Social media age restrictions may push children online in secret… (Guardian, 23 June 2024)
- The eSafety commissioner is pushing back on … ban plan (Crikey, 26 June 2024)
- We know social media bans are unlikely to work… (Generation Next)
- Should we raise the age for social media? Why that’s the wrong question (Alannah and Madeleine Foundation, 17 June 2024)
- Youth mental health and social media: A Joint Position Statement by Australian mental health focused organisations working with young people (Prevention United, 31 July 2024)
- ARACY Submission to the Joint Committee into Social Media and Australian Society (ARACY, June 2024)
For advice about keeping your children safe in the online environment, see the eSafety website.
Labor policy announcement
- Prime Minister’s media release
- Article in the Guardian covering the announcement and reaction from State Premiers and the Opposition
- Editorial in the Age supporting action but questioning the practicability of a ban (Subscription only)
- Article in the Age focusing on parent responses to the proposed ban (Subscription only)
- Statement from eSafety putting the Prime Minister’s announcement into the context of ongoing work to reduce harm in this space.
- Article in the Age questioning the justification for the proposed ban, while experts in the field oppose it. The article traces concerns about youth and social media back to Jonathan Haidt’s book The Anxious Generation, and proposes an alternative view. (Article is subscription only.)
Legislation
Legislation to enable the social media ban in uner-16s was introduced into Parliament on 21 November 2024 and passed on 26 November.
- Communication Minister Michelle Rowland’s speech introducing the Bill
- Commentary by Daniel Angus in the Conversation: “The government has introduced laws for its social media ban. But key details are still missing”
- Statement from the eSafety Commissioner, welcoming the legislation but cautioning that, “it is one part of a holistic approach to protect children and young people from harm online.”
- Federal Education Minister Jason Clare’s media release announcing the passing of the legislation.
Parliamentary Inquiry
The legislation was also the subject of a Parliamentary Inquiry. Parents Victoria and national parent body ACSSO made submissions to the Inquiry:
All submissions are available on the Parliamentary Committee web page.
Age verification
Concerns about problems with age verification have intensified in 2025, after being flagged before the legislation was introduced. This article from the Conversation details what has been tried and the issues that have emerged.