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Australia to Enforce 16+ Social Media Age Limit from Dec. 10 — Platforms Face Up to A$50M Fines

Australia will start enforcing a law on Dec. 10 that requires major social networks to remove accounts belonging to children under 16 and report removals to the eSafety Commissioner. Initial notices to 10 platforms will be issued on Dec. 11, followed by monthly requests for six months. Platforms that fail to take reasonable steps could face fines up to A$50 million (about US$33 million). Google and Meta have announced steps to comply, while the Digital Freedom Project is pursuing a High Court challenge.

10:16 AM, 12/03/2025Technology
Australia to Enforce 16+ Social Media Age Limit from Dec. 10 — Platforms Face Up to A$50M Fines

Australia will begin enforcing a law on Dec. 10 that requires major social platforms to prevent children under 16 from using their services and to report removals to the national regulator, Communications Minister Anika Wells said.

On Dec. 11 the eSafety Commissioner will issue initial notices to 10 platforms requesting data on how many Australian child accounts were closed; monthly requests will follow for six months. Platforms that fail to take reasonable steps to remove accounts belonging to Australians under 16 risk penalties of up to A$50 million (about US$33 million). Livestreaming service Twitch was added to the list of age-restricted platforms less than two weeks ago.

What regulators are asking for

The eSafety Commissioner will expect platforms to show they are taking practical, timely steps to identify and remove accounts for children under the new minimum age. The regulator said courts could apply the maximum penalty when platforms commit repeated or systemic breaches.

‘The government recognizes that age assurance may require several days or weeks to complete fairly and accurately,’ Communications Minister Anika Wells said. She warned, however, that 'if eSafety identifies systemic breaches of the law, the platforms will face fines.'

How platforms are responding

Google said it will sign users in Australia under 16 out of YouTube from Dec. 10 and restrict features available only to logged-in account holders, such as playlists. The company said it will estimate ages using data from associated Google accounts and other signals, and criticized the timing and design of the law as rushed.

Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and Threads, said it would begin removing accounts suspected to belong to children from Thursday. Meta added that users aged 16 and older who are removed in error can verify their age via Yoti Age Verification by providing a government-issued ID or a video selfie.

A court challenge is already underway: the Sydney-based advocacy group Digital Freedom Project is seeking a High Court injunction to stop the law from taking effect next week. No hearing date had been set at the time of the announcement.

Global context

Australia’s move is part of a broader international discussion on minimum ages for social platforms. Last month Malaysia said it plans to bar social accounts for children under 16 from 2026, and regulators in the European Commission, France, Denmark, Greece, Romania and New Zealand have expressed interest in similar measures.

What to watch next: how platforms implement age-assurance systems, whether courts impose maximum penalties for repeated breaches, and the outcome of the High Court challenge, which could pause or reshape enforcement.

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