Social Media Ban Australia: Start Date, What Changes on 10 December 2025, and What Parents and Platforms Should Do Now

Australia’s national social-media age limit is nearing the finish line. From 10 December 2025, platforms designated as “age-restricted social media” must take reasonable steps to prevent under-16s from having accounts—and risk steep penalties if they don’t. The rule targets platforms, not kids or parents, and it’s landing amid fresh industry pushback and last-minute safety tweaks across popular apps.

When is the social media ban?

The start date is 10 December 2025. From that day, covered platforms are expected to block new under-16 sign-ups and deal with existing under-age accounts. This measure was legislated in late 2024 with a one-year runway to build guidance, consult industry and schools, and test age-assurance options. Authorities emphasize it’s best understood as a delay to social-media access until 16—not a criminal prohibition on young people.

What counts as “reasonable steps”?

The law doesn’t hard-code a single technology. Instead, it expects platforms to adopt age-assurance measures suited to their risk—think a mix of inference, secure document checks, or privacy-preserving verification—while keeping methods minimally invasive and accessible.

Who faces penalties?

The enforcement lever is aimed at platforms. Non-compliance can trigger fines that scale into the tens of millions of dollars. There are no penalties for children or parents.

What’s new this week

• Pre-launch tune-ups: Major apps have begun tightening teen settings—restricting mature content, clamping down on contact with adult-only accounts, and expanding parental tools—so they’re closer to the spirit of the rules before day one.

• Legal maneuvering: At least one large tech company is preparing to challenge the law’s scope, arguing that some products (for example, video-sharing services) aren’t “social media” and should fall outside the regime. Expect early court skirmishes to test definitions and proportionality.

• Government messaging: A national information push is underway to help families plan account changes and to set expectations about how verification will work without oversharing personal data.

What changes on 10 December 2025

• New sign-ups: Users under 16 should be blocked from creating accounts on captured platforms.

• Existing accounts: Platforms are expected to identify and remediate under-age accounts—through re-verification prompts, graduated feature limits, or account closure where appropriate.

• Product design: Risky features (anonymous DMs, public discoverability, live video) face stricter teen defaults and, in some cases, full removal for under-16s.

• Compliance reporting: Platforms will need records showing how they assessed risk, chose verification methods, and handled appeals.

FAQs: Quick answers for families

• Does this punish kids or parents? No. The obligation sits with platforms.

• Can parents “consent” for under-16s? No. The law sets a hard minimum age of 16 for the covered services.

• Which apps are covered? Regulators assess platforms by features and risks (public profiles, friending/following, private messaging, algorithmic feeds). A formal list is being maintained and updated as products evolve.

• How intrusive will checks be? The standard is “minimally invasive.” Expect options beyond ID uploads, including privacy-preserving verification methods.

• What about messaging or video-sharing apps? Coverage depends on how social the product is in practice. Some companies are pushing for carve-outs; regulators will decide based on risk and functionality.

What parents and schools can do now

1) Map accounts and set a plan.
List the apps your child uses and sort them into likely-to-be-restricted vs. allowed. Decide what happens on 10 December—closure, a pause, or a move to a platform that isn’t captured.

2) Back up memories.
Export photos, chats, and creative projects your child wants to keep. Some platforms delete content when accounts are closed.

3) Shift social habits.
Help kids maintain friendships through family-managed channels (group texts, moderated school platforms, in-person clubs) while they’re under 16.

4) Practice privacy-first verification.
If a platform requests age checks, choose the least data-exposing path that still works. Don’t share extra documents beyond what’s required.

5) Watch for impersonation risk.
As under-age accounts are removed, some teens may encounter fake profiles. Teach kids to report impersonation and keep their contact circles small.

What platforms should be ready to show

• A risk assessment linking features to harm scenarios for under-16s.

• Age-assurance rationale explaining why chosen methods are proportionate and privacy-respecting.

• Clear remediation flows for suspected under-age users, including appeals and data-minimization.

• Teen-safe defaults (private by default, limited contact, reduced recommendations).

• Transparent comms to families, schools, and creators who reach teen audiences.

What to watch next

• Early enforcement cases: The first test matters—expect regulators to pick clear-cut examples to set precedents.

• Definition fights: Courts may refine what “social media” means when a product straddles messaging, video, and community features.

• Tech standards: Expect movement toward interoperable, privacy-preserving age verification, especially for browsers and app stores, to reduce friction and data exposure across services.

The social media ban in Australia begins 10 December 2025 and places the onus squarely on platforms to keep under-16s off their services or radically restrict what those accounts can do. Families should use the run-up to back up content, discuss alternatives, and prepare for verification prompts, while platforms finalize teen-safe defaults and documentation to withstand both regulatory scrutiny and likely court challenges.