Quick Facts
On December 10th, 2025, Australia officially banned access to social media accounts for youth under age 16, citing a sharp rise in cyberbullying, sexual exploitation, self-harm, and mental health risks.
Banned platforms include Instagram, Facebook, Twitch, YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, X, and Reddit. Exempted platforms include Messenger Kids, YouTube Kids, WhatsApp, Discord, Roblox, Pinterest, and Google Classroom.
Australian opinion polls have since shown that adults overwhelmingly support the ban (at 79%), while child/youth majorly oppose it (at 70%).
How Does the Ban Work?
Rather than simply relying on birthdate input, platforms must now independently verify the age of the user – either via ID checks or selfie uploads – and take measures to prevent fraudulent account creation, such as through VPNs. Platforms will also be subject to regular audits and reporting.
The Global Response
French lawmakers have also proposed banning under-15s from accessing social media, calling the matter a “health emergency”. Several other countries are considering similar policies, including Britain, Denmark, Spain, India, and several US states. In Canada, officials claim that a few options are being considered to limit and prevent online harms to kids.
Criticisms of the Ban
The Australian law has been heavily criticized, especially by Reddit, who filed a lawsuit against the government in opposition to the ban. Some key concerns being raised are:
- Privacy: the mandate requires the collection and storage of ID or biometrics data.
- Safety: the ban could push children into unregulated online spaces or make them less willing to report incidents since “they weren’t supposed to be on social media”.
- Limitations on free speech and kids’ rights.
- Efficiency and accuracy of age verification methods.
Some call the measure “oversimplified” or “inadequate” to address the complex relationship between youth mental health issues and social media. Critics of the policy lament that children will lose out on the proven benefits of social media, including the ability to explore their identity, access social supports, and artistically express themselves – particularly for marginalized youth or those living in remote areas. Others say that social media companies merely need to be held more accountable for child safety on their platforms.
But proponents argue that companies have had over a decade to implement adequate safety measures and have failed to do so. For instance, Instagram’s ‘Teen Accounts’ were only introduced in 2024, and have since been criticized for being “woefully ineffective”. Further, several platforms have failed to remove sexual imagery of children, despite claiming to adopt a “zero tolerance approach” to child sexual exploitation. Regarding the purported benefits of social media, researcher Jonathan Haidt claims that these mostly apply to older teenagers (ages 16-18), and do not justify the risks posed to younger children.
Canada’s response
The Liberal government has promised to re-introduce Bill C-63, Canada’s Online Harms Bill in early 2026. It will mandate that platforms take the necessary steps to reduce harm for users. In particular, it will introduce a 24-hour takedown provision for CSAM (child sexual abuse material) and will require the regulation of content that bullies a child or induces a child to harm themselves. Recent reports suggest that the Bill could also include a social media ban for children under 14. To enforce the legislation, Bill C-63 would establish the Digital Safety Commission of Canada, which would also assess the regulatory measures implemented by platforms.
What’s next?
Whether you believe that setting a minimum age for social media use is needed, or not, it will not replace the need to educate our kids about safe internet use. So, until social media companies do their part, we must use all the tools at our disposal to keep our kids safe online. Check out our resource page for these (listed below) and other resources: https://www.childrenofthestreet.com/resources/
- 10 Tips to Keeping Kids Safe Online
- How to Talk to Kids About Online Exploitation
- Be S.A.F.E.R Online
- Safety Plan