A new law in Australia that bars anyone younger than 16 from having social media accounts went into effect on Wednesday, in the start of a sweeping governmental effort to shelter children from the harms associated with such platforms.
The measure, passed a year ago with broad support, requires the technology companies behind the platforms to identify and disable the accounts of Australian users who are under 16. Failure to take what the law considers “reasonable steps” to remove the users will lead to a fine of about $32 million.
Most of the 10 services covered by the law — Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, Twitch, X and YouTube — said they would comply with the law. A few said they had begun deactivating accounts in the days before the law came into effect. Some have argued that the government’s classification of what is considered a social media service was murky and that the ban may push children into less-regulated corners of the internet.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia has said the move was needed to address concerns about social media’s effects on children’s mental health.
“Our social media ban is about making sure kids have a childhood,” Mr. Albanese said in videos posted on X and Instagram. “It’s not going to be perfect, but it’s too important not to give it a crack.”
Denmark and Malaysia are planning similar actions to restrict children’s social media use.
Australia’s communications minister said the companies would be required to report the number of underage accounts on their platforms before and immediately after the ban, and then each of the next six months.
The setup and enforcement of age restrictions are left up to the companies. In the days leading to the ban, some teenagers said that they were prompted to verify their ages using a facial analysis feature, but that it gave inaccurate estimates. The law also states that companies cannot ask users to provide government-issued identification as the only way to prove their age because of privacy concerns.
Australia’s online regulator reported this year that 95 percent of teenagers ages 13 to 15 used social media in 2024. YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram were the most popular services.
Victoria Kim is the Australia correspondent for The New York Times, based in Sydney, covering Australia, New Zealand and the broader Pacific region.
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