More than one million social media accounts belonging to Australians under 16 are expected to be shut down when the country’s new national ban comes into force. Starting December 10, platforms including Facebook, Snapchat, and YouTube will be required to block access for users under 16—or face penalties of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars ($32 million).
Australia is the first nation to introduce a law specifically targeting the risks and harmful content children encounter on social media. The legislation aims to safeguard young, vulnerable users from addictive platform designs, including the pursuit of likes and engagement metrics that can negatively impact mental health.
With the world-first social media ban for under-16s just days away, here’s a breakdown of what the ban involves, how it will be enforced, which platforms are included, and whether affected users will have any way to challenge their account removal.
YouTube has pushed back strongly against the new rules, calling the law rushed, misguided, and based on a flawed understanding of how young people use the platform. According to Rachel Lord, YouTube’s public policy manager, the company will now be forced to automatically sign out all Australian users under 16 based on their Google account age. “This law will not fulfil its promise to make kids safer online and will, in fact, make Australian kids less safe on YouTube,” Lord said.
Children will still be able to watch YouTube without logging in, but they will lose access to important safety tools such as content filters and digital well-being controls. YouTube argues that removing these protections will leave teens more vulnerable, not less. “We’ve heard the same concerns from parents and educators,” Lord added.
YouTube initially believed it would be exempt from the ban because many students rely on the platform for school-related content. However, the government took a firmer position in July, insisting that young users must be protected from “predatory algorithms,” effectively removing any exceptions for educational use.
