By Ademuyiwa Balikis
Australia has introduced a law banning children under 16 from holding social media accounts, effective December 10, becoming the first country in the world to do so. Communications Minister Anika Wells said the law is designed to protect Generation Alpha from what the government calls online purgatory.
Speaking at the National Press Club, Wells highlighted the dangers of addictive and predatory algorithms, describing them as tools that can suck children into purgatory. She referenced warnings from the creator of such features, who likened them to behavioral cocaine.
“If a child has a social media account on December 10, then that platform is breaking the law,” Wells said, emphasizing the legal responsibility of social media companies to enforce the ban.
The legislation, part of amendments to the Online Safety Act 2021 under the Social Media Minimum Age (SMMA), requires platforms to take reasonable steps to prevent under 16s from creating or maintaining accounts. Major platforms affected include Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), Reddit, Kick, Twitch, and Threads.
Some platforms, including Meta owned services and YouTube, have already begun notifying Australian users under 16 that their accounts will be removed ahead of the December 10 deadline.
Minister Wells said the law is aimed at giving children a chance to grow up before being exposed to the pressures and risks of social media, underlining the government’s commitment to online safety for the nation’s youngest users.
