Starting December 2025, Australia is set to become the first country in the world to nationally ban under-16s from using social media.
- Who’s affected? Teens under 16 on platforms like Meta, TikTok, and Snapchat.
- How? Via age-verification tech (photo-based AI) being tested for accuracy.
- Penalty for platforms? Fines up to $49.5 million for non-compliance.
- Why? To protect the mental and physical health of young users.
Students who tested the tools say they’re accurate but easy to bypass.
What Other Countries Are Doing
Britain
- Passed the Online Safety Act (2023).
- Ofcom will enforce age restrictions and safety-by-design from 2024.
- Launched studies on how smartphones and social media affect kids.
- No outright ban yet, but everything is “on the table”, per officials.
Norway
- Proposed raising the consent age from 13 to 15.
- Parents must approve social media use for those under the new threshold.
- Exploring a fixed minimum age for all platforms.
- Govt data: 50% of 9-year-olds already use social media.
European Union (EU-wide Law)
- Children under 16 require parental consent for data processing.
- Member states can lower this to 13 (many have).
Highlights from key EU nations:
France
- Law requires parental consent for kids under 15 to open accounts.
- New proposals suggest:
- Ban phones for kids under 11.
- No internet-enabled phones before age 13.
- Ban phones for kids under 11.
Germany
- Children 13–16 can use social media with parental approval.
- Advocates call for tighter controls.
Belgium
- Minimum age of 13 to join social media’s without parental consent.
Netherlands
- No specific law on age limits for social media use.
- But phones have been banned in classrooms since Jan 2024.
Italy
- Children under 14 need parental consent.
- Above 14, they’re free to create accounts independently.
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