Daniel Slotta
Research expert covering Greater China
Social media ban in Australia - statistics & facts
Australia’s parliament passed its world-first social media ban for children and most teenagers nationwide in December 2024, set to alter the digital lives of the country’s youth significantly. Through the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024, the government established a mandatory minimum age of 16 for social media access spanning several popular social networking platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Reddit, and X (formerly Twitter), set to take effect by December 2025. These regulations aim to strengthen existing measures to protect young people from exposure to age-inappropriate, distressing, or harmful content, cyberbullying, addictive algorithms, and other adverse impacts like elevated stress levels and sleep disturbances. However, while Australia’s adult population has been relatively supportive, many major social media players have criticized the ban, particularly due to specific platforms being exempt.
