Overview
- Australia has begun enforcing a law that blocks users under 16 from social networks and exposes companies that fall short of “reasonable measures” to detect and remove underage accounts to fines that reports say could exceed $32 million.
- Platforms covered include TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, X, Reddit and Twitch, while YouTube remains viewable but under-16s are barred from uploading, commenting or using its social features.
- Prime Minister Anthony Albanese cited a clear causal relationship between social media growth and harm to young Australians’ mental health as the justification for the crackdown.
- Denmark has approved a prohibition for under-15s with a parental-permission option from age 13, paired with information campaigns and roughly $24 million in dedicated funding, as some parties question age-verification mechanisms.
- Rollout raises practical and equity concerns as firms and teens voice reservations, the EU and the US watch for outcomes, advertisers weigh exposure to youth audiences, and platforms report hundreds of thousands of underage Australian users and consider stricter verification tools.