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Millions of teenagers banned from social media

The Federal government says 4.7 million social media accounts have been deactivated in the first month of its ban on teenagers. It’s the first ban of its kind in the world, and other countries are watching closely.

‘Huge achievement’: Labor hails wave of under-16 social media account deletions, restrictions

The government has hailed data showing over 4.7 million under-16 accounts had been deactivated, removed or restricted within days of social media restrictions coming into effect, with one minister calling it a “huge achievement”.

Australia’s social media age restrictions have been in place for a month — are they working?

Now that we’ve reached the one-month mark since Australia implemented its closely scrutinised social media age restrictions policy on 10 December 2025, what may be most remarkable is what hasn’t happened. There has been no spiralling backlash, no rapid escalation of unintended harms and no policy meltdown. For a reform as contested as this one was, that absence is significant.

How Australia’s under-16 social media ban is going: Parents, experts share insights

It’s been one month since millions of Australians under 16 logged off social media, and families are already grappling with new rules and workarounds. But alongside the challenges, unexpected relief has emerged.

Australia is trying to enforce the first teen social media ban. Governments worldwide are watching.

Australia on Wednesday became the first country to formally bar users under the age of 16 from accessing major social media platforms, a move expected to be closely monitored by global tech companies and policymakers around the world.

Australia social media ban set to take effect, sparking a global crackdown

Australia is set to become the first country to implement a minimum age for social media use on Wednesday, with platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube forced to block more than a million accounts, marking the beginning of an expected global wave of regulation.

Why Australia’s social media ban for under 16s is set to go global

The Albanese government describes Australia’s social media age restrictions as world-leading, and it is right. Denmark, Norway, France, Italy, Spain, Malaysia and New Zealand are all considering similar laws.

The news story the eyes of the world will be watching

Eyes around the world are watching our teenagers and their phones as Australia becomes the first country to ban under-16s from popular social media apps such as Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and Facebook.

Australia’s social media age restrictions are already working — and they haven’t even started yet

We can’t be sure what will happen when Australia’s social media age restrictions finally come into effect, but they have already begun to change the online media landscape.

Will Australia’s social media ban start a global trend?

Australia is the first country in the world to ban children from using social media, with under-16s told to log off for good, but will the new laws work as intended?