Restricting social media for Aussie teens? New limits on access explained

Amid growing concerns over online safety, governments worldwide are implementing new age restrictions, striving to balance digital freedom with protection as part of efforts to protect children from harmful content.

Since the early days of Facebook and MySpace where users had to be 18 or over, social media platforms have struggled with age restrictions. Facebook’s original 18+ rule was later lowered to 13 in most countries and 14 in some.

Today, apps like Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram require users to be at least 13, but age verification remains unreliable, making it easy for underage users to bypass restrictions. Platforms like Instagram attempt to verify ages through birthdays, IDs, or video selfies, but loopholes persist.

Australia is now taking a bold step to ban social media platforms such as Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, and X, amongst others, for users under 16. No exceptions will be made, even for existing users or those with parental consent.

So, what are the new limits on access? Why now? And what are other countries doing?

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