TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Australian government will prohibit access to social media for citizens under the age of 16. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that this policy will prioritize families and protect children.
"Social media has a social responsibility and there is no doubt that Australian kids are being negatively impacted by online platforms so I'm calling time on it," he said in a written statement on Wednesday, July 30, 2025.
Albanese stated that social media platforms will have a minimum age requirement for users, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X, and YouTube. Social media management will face a fine of AU$49.5 million if it fails to prevent account holders under the age of 16 from accessing the platform.
He said that social media poses a danger to children, and that parents need to know the government supports protecting them. "Our Government is making it clear – we stand on the side of families," he said.
This new regulation will come into effect on December 10, 2025, but it excludes online gaming services, messaging applications, as well as health and education services. This is based on the online safety regulations for age-restricted social media platforms submitted to Parliament yesterday.
These exclusions are considered due to lesser danger or are based on other applicable laws. A restricted social media account is defined as a service that allows users to interact with each other and upload various types of content.
Australian Minister for Communications Anika Wells mentioned that age-appropriate suspensions are done persuasively and provide peace of mind for parents. However, she stated that there is no perfect solution to keep young Australian children safe while networking.
It is believed that the minimum age regulation for social media users will positively impact the well-being of children. "There's a place for social media, but there's not a place for predatory algorithms targeting children," she said.
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