Australia begins enforcing world first social media age ban for children under 16

Canberra: Australia has begun enforcing a new law that bans children under 16 from using major social media platforms, marking the first nationwide rule of its kind in the world. The law took effect today after months of preparation by the government and technology companies.

Under the new rules, apps such as Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube and several others must block new accounts from users below 16 years old and remove any existing accounts that belong to younger children. Companies that fail to take reasonable steps to comply risk heavy penalties of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars.

The government says the measure was introduced to protect children from harmful online content, bullying and the pressure created by social media. Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inma