Australia’s under-16 social media ban to take effect in one month but key questions remain unanswered

Australia is in the final throes of preparing its world-leading social media ban for children younger than 16 but key questions remain unanswered.

From December 10, children 16 and younger will be kicked off platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Threads and X.

Opposition communication spokeswoman Melissa McIntosh used the one-month deadline on Monday to turn up the heat on the Albanese Government, declaring the ban was “set up to fail”.

She said it had not been clear about details including whether a platform could compel Australians to use digital identification for age verification.

“The details really matter, and the minister should be focused on those first and foremost,” Ms McIntosh said.

The Albanese Government announced earlier in November the list of platforms had expanded to capture the forum website Reddit and live-streaming platform Kick.

Discord, Twitch and popular gaming site Roblox won’t be affected by the ban but Communications Minister Anika Wells said the list would be fluid, meaning more platforms could be added.

Many Australian families were not prepared for the ban and did not know which platforms were in or out, Ms McIntosh said.

“The Government has simply not provided enough time for families, schools and kids to be ready,” she said.

More than 200,000 Australians have visited the eSafety website since a national education campaign launched three weeks ago.

The website has attracted almost 100,000 page views per week, compared to fewer than 10,000 page views before its launch.

Ms Wells said the numbers were heartening, with the information to drive meaningful conversations about the significant change.

“Now is the time for people with under-16s in their lives to start having conversations about what the new law means for them, and talk through any concerns or worries,” she said.

“Young people who expect to have their accounts deactivated from 10 December can also take steps to prepare and make sure they stay connected to the people and things they love, including by backing up content and photos and exploring other ways to keep in touch.”

The onus for complying with the ban rests with tech giants to “detect and deactivate or remove” accounts from underage users.

Companies that failed to comply could be fined up to $49.5 million.

Denmark has announced it will follow Australia with a social media ban for children younger than 15 but has yet to settle on how and when it will be enforced.

The Scandinavian country has a national electronic ID system open to Danish citizens aged 13 and older.