Adults only: Australia passes landmark law banning social media for users under 16

Australia's Parliament has enacted a world-first law prohibiting social media access for users under 16 — imposing potentially massive financial penalties on platforms that fail to prevent underage account creation.

The legislation, passed in both the Senate and House of Representatives, will fine platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram up to 50 million Australian dollars (US$33 million) for systemic failures to block underage users. 

Platforms have one year to implement age verification mechanisms before penalties take effect.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese emphasized the law’s intent, stating, “Platforms now have a social responsibility to ensure the safety of our kids is a priority for them.”

The legislation includes critical privacy protections — preventing platforms from demanding government-issued identity documents or digital identification for age verification. Exemptions will apply for educational services like YouTube, WhatsApp, and Google Classroom.

Industry groups have raised concerns about the law’s rapid passage. Sunita Bose, managing director of Digital Industry Group Inc., noted that “no one can confidently explain how it will work in practice.”

Some lawmakers, like Senator Maria Kovacic, argued the law is necessary. “This legislation demands that social media companies take reasonable steps to identify and remove underage users from their platforms,” she said.

For the social media platforms, the implications of the law could be far-reaching, as they may have to face significant compliance costs, be forced to introduce further innovations in age verification technologies, and make potential platform redesigns to prevent underage access. The financial and social implications could be greater still if other countries are inspired to pass similar laws.

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