Key Facts
• December 2025: Australia enacts law restricting SNS use for under-16s.
• January 15, 2026: Internet regulator reports 4.7 million accounts limited.
• Platforms affected: Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, YouTube, Twitch, Kick, Reddit.
• Law requires companies to take “reasonable measures” to block under-16 accounts.
• Penalty for violations: up to 49.5 million AUD (~5.2 billion JPY).
• No penalties imposed on children or guardians.
• Meta suspended approximately 540,000 accounts across three platforms.
• Users reportedly shifting to unregulated SNS with similar services.
• Proposed solution: mandatory age verification at app store download stage.
• Authorities satisfied but will continue long-term impact evaluation.
Summary
Australia’s internet regulator announced that following the December 2025 law restricting social media use for those under 16, at least 4.7 million accounts have been limited across ten major platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. The legislation mandates companies to implement reasonable measures to prevent underage account creation and usage, with fines up to 49.5 million Australian dollars for non-compliance. Meta reported suspending around 540,000 accounts but noted users migrating to unregulated platforms offering similar services. To address this, authorities propose enforcing age verification at the app store level. While regulators express satisfaction with initial results, they plan ongoing assessments to fully gauge the law’s positive effects. No penalties apply to minors or their guardians under the current framework.
