What Happened
- Australia is standing firm on its world-first social media ban for children under 16, resisting pressure from major technology platforms despite early enforcement challenges.
- The Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024 went into force on 10 December 2025, requiring platforms including Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, X (Twitter), Snapchat, and Reddit to prevent under-16s from holding accounts.
- In its first compliance report, the eSafety Commissioner found nearly one-third of parents reported their under-16 child still had at least one active social media account, highlighting enforcement gaps.
- Approximately 4.7 million teen accounts were removed by platforms in the law's first month, though many teens continue to find circumvention methods.
- At least eight countries have indicated interest in similar measures, with France, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the United Kingdom actively advancing comparable legislation.
Static Topic Bridges
Australia's Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024
Passed by the Australian Parliament on 29 November 2024, this law is the world's first legislated minimum age restriction on social media use at a national scale. It requires "designated social media services" to take reasonable steps to prevent minors under 16 from creating accounts. Platforms that fail to comply face civil penalties of up to 150,000 penalty units (equivalent to approximately AUD 49.5 million). The law also contains strong privacy protections: any data collected for age verification purposes must be destroyed after use, and failure to do so constitutes a breach of the Privacy Act.
- Minimum age: 16 years (no parental consent exemption)
- Platforms covered: Meta (Instagram/Facebook), TikTok, YouTube, X, Snapchat, Reddit, Threads, Twitch, Kick
- Exemptions: messaging apps, online gaming, education platforms (Google Classroom), mental health services (Headspace, Kids Helpline)
- Enforced by: eSafety Commissioner (Australia's online safety regulator)
- Penalty for non-compliance: up to AUD 49.5 million per breach
- Age verification methods: selfie-based facial estimation, ID document upload, or linked bank details
Connection to this news: Australia is defending the law's design against pushback from tech firms, who argue it infringes on rights and creates data privacy risks — the government's "hardball" posture reflects its determination to hold platforms accountable regardless of industry resistance.
Digital Governance and Children's Online Safety: Global Frameworks
The debate over children's access to social media involves a tension between protecting minors from documented harms (mental health impacts, exploitation, addictive design) and upholding digital rights and freedom of expression. Most regulatory responses fall into three categories: age verification mandates, platform liability regimes, and outright access restrictions. The European Union's Digital Services Act (DSA) and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) prohibit processing personal data of children under 16 without parental consent. The US Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) sets the age at 13.
- UK: Online Safety Act 2023 imposes duties on platforms for children's safety; PM Keir Starmer signalled support for an Australia-style age ban in early 2026
- France: National Assembly approved a bill banning social media for under-15s in January 2026 (116 votes to 23)
- Indonesia: Implemented an under-16 social media restriction in March 2026
- Malaysia: Announced an under-16 ban to take effect in 2026
- India: No equivalent national law yet; TRAI and MeitY have been examining children's online safety regulations under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023
Connection to this news: Australia's experience is being closely studied by policymakers worldwide as the first real-world test of whether age restrictions on social media are enforceable at scale — its outcomes will directly influence legislative debates in India and other democracies.
Information Technology Regulation in India: Current Framework
India's principal legislation governing digital platforms is the Information Technology Act, 2000 (amended in 2008) and the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. The Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023 — India's first dedicated data protection law — prohibits processing of personal data of children (defined as under 18) without verifiable parental consent, and bars targeted advertising directed at children. However, India lacks a standalone age-based access restriction law for social media comparable to Australia's.
- IT Act 2000: Foundational legislation for digital intermediary liability and cybercrime
- IT Rules 2021: Classifies social media platforms as "significant social media intermediaries" above 5 million users; mandates grievance officers, content traceability for serious offences
- DPDP Act 2023: Prohibits processing children's data without parental consent; no tracking or behavioural advertising targeting children
- Proposed Data Protection Board (under DPDP Act) will adjudicate breaches
- India has ~700 million social media users; children's online safety regulation remains a policy gap
Connection to this news: Australia's law and the global momentum it has triggered create pressure on India to move beyond the DPDP Act's consent requirements toward more active age-access restrictions — a likely future exam question in GS2 and GS3.
Key Facts & Data
- Act passed: 29 November 2024; enforcement commenced: 10 December 2025
- Minimum age: 16 years (one of the highest globally; most countries use 13 under COPPA-equivalent rules)
- 4.7 million under-16 accounts removed in first month of enforcement
- ~33% of parents reported their under-16 child still maintained at least one account after the ban
- Maximum penalty for non-compliant platforms: AUD 49.5 million (~INR 260 crore approximately)
- Eight-plus countries exploring similar legislation as of April 2026
- India's DPDP Act 2023 defines a "child" as any person below 18 years of age for data protection purposes