Social-media ban for people under 16 in Australia: Will not be able to create Facebook-Instagram account from December 10; Companies will be fined up to ₹400 crore

Social media platforms will have to take reasonable steps like checking age for this. If the law is not followed, only the platforms will be punished, not the children or parents.

Question 2: Which platforms will be banned, and which will be saved? answer: The ban will be imposed on those platforms where social interaction is the main thing. These include Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X, YouTube, Threads, Reddit and Kik. Reddit and Kik were added more recently because they focus on social interaction and user content. Children will be able to watch videos on YouTube and Reddit, but will not be able to comment or post unless they create an account.

On the other hand, platforms like Discord, Twitch, Messenger, WhatsApp, GitHub, Google Classroom, Lego Play, Roblox, Steam, and YouTube Kids are out of the ban. Australia’s e-Safety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said that these platforms are focused on social interaction, so the ban list is not final yet, there may be changes.

Question 3: What will happen to existing accounts? answer: The ban will start from December 10, 2025. Existing accounts will need to be deactivated or deleted. Platforms will have to take ‘reasonable steps’, such as age checking. “Platforms will have to tell every user before December 10,” Wells said.

Question 4: How will the ban be implemented, and what will be the penalty? answer: The responsibility of implementing the ban will be on the platforms. If they do not agree, a fine of $49.5 million (about Rs 400 crore) may be imposed. Platforms will have to check for ‘age-related signals’, such as how old the account is, interactions with child content, or age estimation from profile photos.