Australia Passes First-Ever Social Media Ban for Minors
Dec 12, 2025 by FACT
This week, Australia became the first country in the world to ban children 16 and under from all social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Reddit, Snapchat, X (formerly Twitter), and more. Over one million accounts will be immediately deactivated, and platforms will face fines up to $32 million if they fail to take “reasonable steps” to prevent minors from creating and maintaining accounts.
“With one law, we can protect Generation Alpha from being sucked into purgatory by predatory algorithms described by the man who created the feature as ‘behavioral cocaine,’” Australian Communications Minister Anika Wells stated.
Polls show that over 77% of Australians support the measure, which lawmakers easily passed last year. Respondents believe the ban will help children prioritize in-person interactions and improve Gen A’s social skills. Even young adults aged 18-20 appear broadly in favor of the ban, with many acknowledging they would have been better off without social media in their early teenage years.
Australian government officials believe the ban will act as the world’s “first domino,” and that their success will encourage other nations to follow suit. The law initially faced pushback from social media companies, but since the bill’s passage, all platforms have agreed to cooperate, with Meta beginning enforcement before the ban even went into effect.
A national study conducted by the Australian government found that 96% of children ages 10 to 15 use social media, and 70% of those users have been exposed to dangerous content. The study also found that one in seven users experienced grooming-type behavior, and over half had been subjected to cyberbullying.
“Delaying children’s access to social media accounts gives them valuable time to learn and grow, free of the powerful, unseen forces of harmful and deceptive design features such as opaque algorithms and endless scroll,” Australian eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman said. “This important normative change will be invaluable to parents and young people alike – creating friction or a check in the online ecosystem that previously did not exist.”
While Australia’s new law is not flawless, it’s certainly a step in the right direction – and America should take note. We’re proud to say that Tennessee is one of only eight states to enact safeguards for minors’ social media accounts.
Tennessee’s “Protecting Children from Social Media Act,” passed in 2024 and implemented on January 1, 2025, requires platforms to obtain express parental consent from the legal guardians of users 18 and under. The law also includes provisions for parental supervision after the account is approved and created. In 2026, we hope to see other states follow our lead and enact similar protections for minors. Social media is a dangerous place for children, and access to it should be regulated.
“With one law, we can protect Generation Alpha from being sucked into purgatory by predatory algorithms described by the man who created the feature as ‘behavioral cocaine,’” Australian Communications Minister Anika Wells stated.
Polls show that over 77% of Australians support the measure, which lawmakers easily passed last year. Respondents believe the ban will help children prioritize in-person interactions and improve Gen A’s social skills. Even young adults aged 18-20 appear broadly in favor of the ban, with many acknowledging they would have been better off without social media in their early teenage years.
Australian government officials believe the ban will act as the world’s “first domino,” and that their success will encourage other nations to follow suit. The law initially faced pushback from social media companies, but since the bill’s passage, all platforms have agreed to cooperate, with Meta beginning enforcement before the ban even went into effect.
A national study conducted by the Australian government found that 96% of children ages 10 to 15 use social media, and 70% of those users have been exposed to dangerous content. The study also found that one in seven users experienced grooming-type behavior, and over half had been subjected to cyberbullying.
“Delaying children’s access to social media accounts gives them valuable time to learn and grow, free of the powerful, unseen forces of harmful and deceptive design features such as opaque algorithms and endless scroll,” Australian eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman said. “This important normative change will be invaluable to parents and young people alike – creating friction or a check in the online ecosystem that previously did not exist.”
While Australia’s new law is not flawless, it’s certainly a step in the right direction – and America should take note. We’re proud to say that Tennessee is one of only eight states to enact safeguards for minors’ social media accounts.
Tennessee’s “Protecting Children from Social Media Act,” passed in 2024 and implemented on January 1, 2025, requires platforms to obtain express parental consent from the legal guardians of users 18 and under. The law also includes provisions for parental supervision after the account is approved and created. In 2026, we hope to see other states follow our lead and enact similar protections for minors. Social media is a dangerous place for children, and access to it should be regulated.
