Australia sets new social media age limitCEFR B2
15 Dec 2025
Adapted from Kevin Rennie, Global Voices • CC BY 3.0
Photo by Steven Wei, Unsplash
On 10 December 2025 Australia introduced a law that sets a minimum age for social media accounts. The law requires major platforms to take reasonable steps to prevent Australians under 16 from holding accounts and applies to both existing and new accounts. Companies must show they are doing enough to eject or block children under 16 or face penalties.
The government, with help from eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, named ten platforms covered by the rule: Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, Twitch, X and YouTube. WhatsApp and Roblox were excluded, and smaller apps such as Yope and Lemon8 were asked to self‑assess. The Coverstar app is promoting itself as "space designed for creativity, positivity and safety" with "No DMs and no creeps".
The Social Media Minimum Age campaign set four criteria for selecting services:
- they enable online social interaction between two or more end‑users,
- they allow end‑users to link to or interact with other users,
- they let end‑users post material on the service,
- they have material accessible to, or delivered to, users in Australia.
The rollout prompted strong reactions at home and abroad. The U.S. Congress asked the eSafety Commissioner to testify and its chair described her as a "zealot" in a letter; it is not known whether she will appear. There have also been suggestions that Donald Trump may retaliate over the bans and other digital rules. Young people and groups voiced opposing views: a 14‑year‑old named Zoey spoke against the bans, an SBS News TikTok post attracted over 1.6 million views, Teach Us Consent called for an opt‑in algorithm feature, and BTN reported 70% of its young audience said the ban was not a good idea. Practical issues include facial scans, ID and bank card checks and the use of VPNs to bypass restrictions; AAP warned of misidentification risks. Legal challenges by Reddit and two teens are headed to the High Court, and companies face penalties of up to $50 million if they do not comply. Julie Inman Grant said she will "play the long game" as authorities monitor the law's effects.
Difficult words
- minimum age — Lowest age allowed to hold an account
- platform — Online service where people interact publiclyplatforms
- eject — Force someone to leave or remove
- retaliate — Act against someone in response
- misidentification — Wrongly identifying a person or account
- penalty — Official punishment, often involving a finepenalties
- rollout — Planned introduction or start of a policy
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Do you think a minimum age limit on social media will make children safer? Why or why not?
- What practical problems might companies face when proving users are over the minimum age? Give examples from the article.
- How could international reactions, like criticism from the U.S., affect Australia’s enforcement of this law?
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