Nov 5, 2025, 9:46 amNov 5, 2025, 9:46 am
In Australia, the social media ban for children under 16 is being expanded to include two platforms.
From December 10th, the Internet forum will also be open Reddit and the Australian live streaming platform Kick.comwhich competes with Twitch, will adhere to the new legal requirements, said the responsible online security authority eSafety.
This brings the number of affected providers to nine, including TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. Tech companies that do not comply with the requirements and do not implement effective measures face penalties of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars (around 26 million Swiss francs) for violations.
Children on social media? Australia is against it. (symbol image)Image: Shutterstock
“Valuable time” for children
Online safety advocate Julie Inman Grant said giving young people later access to social media gave them “valuable time” to develop without the “powerful, invisible forces of opaque algorithms and endless scrolling”.
Platforms that are not subject to the new age limit from next month must belong to one of the various exemption categories. This includes messaging services, email, voice and video calls, online gaming and educational offerings. Popular gaming platforms such as Roblox and apps such as WhatsApp or Messenger are not covered by the new regulation.
The government in Canberra passed the law a year ago – making Australia a global pioneer. Almost all major parties supported Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s initiative. The platforms were given twelve months to implement the new age restriction.
Other countries are taking measures
Meanwhile, too Greece Social media blocked for under 16s. In other countries, like Denmarksimilar plans are being discussed. (rbu/sda/dpa)