From 10 December 2025, Australians under the age of 16 will no longer be allowed to hold accounts on major social media platforms.
The following platforms must comply with the new law, which requires them to take “reasonable steps” to prevent young people under 16 years of age from creating or maintaining accounts:
- TikTok
- Snapchat
- X (formerly Twitter)
- YouTube
- Twitch
See the current lists of platforms that are age-restricted and those that are not age-restricted here.
From 10 December 2025, listed platforms must deactivate existing accounts belonging to under 16 users and block new signups of under 16s, or they could face hefty fines.
The aim of this law is to protect children from online harms associated with social media, including exposure to harmful content, pressures related to screen time and social comparison, and other risks to mental health and wellbeing.
Although under 16s will be unable to have their own accounts on the listed platforms, they will still be able to access publicly available content.
For support, guidance and the latest information around the new law – for example, how age verification will work – people are encouraged to visit the eSafety Commissioner website.