Platforms have to deactivate accounts for users under 16 and also prevent under-16s from creating new accounts. Children themselves will not be penalised for using existing accounts, but companies that let under-age users sign in risk fines of up to AUD 50m ($35m).

The government says the law is designed to protect children from online harm, including cyberbullying, age-inappropriate content and online predators. Officials argue that the risks of social media now outweigh its benefits for young users. Critics, however, see the ban as a familiar policy problem: good intentions paired with questionable outcomes.

A central concern is how the ban will be enforced. Platforms are expected to verify users’ ages either through facial scanning technology or by requesting official ID such as passports or driver’s licences. This raises immediate privacy concerns.

Even some of the world’s most secure apps and institutions have suffered data breaches in recent years, exposing millions of users’ personal information.

Supporters of the ban argue that it may help reverse declining face-to-face social interaction among children. There is some truth to this. Young people today spend less time socialising in person, and a forced break from screens may encourage offline connections.

However, this view overlooks how social media also functions as a social lifeline. For young people with distant friends, long-distance family ties or limited opportunities to socialise in their immediate surroundings, it can be especially important. For many teenagers, these platforms are not distractions but tools for maintaining relationships.

There is also the question of whether the ban will work in practice. Teenagers are technologically savvy and well versed in finding loopholes. Many already bypassed age restrictions by lying about their age when signing up, often years before the ban was announced.

As a result, enforcement has been inconsistent: some users report losing access to certain platforms but no other apps, while many under-16s are continuing to use social media uninterrupted. This could lead to young people moving into less regulated or harder-to-monitor online spaces, undermining the very protections the law aims to provide.

That said, the ban does address real and serious harms. Features such as live location tracking on apps like Snapchat and the risk of contact with online predators have long worried parents and educators.

Cyberbullying, in particular, has become a significant issue among Australian youth. Statistics show that more than 50% of children have experienced it at some point, and it’s more common among teens than younger kids. School presentations and awareness campaigns have proven to be ineffective in reducing bullying.

Ultimately, Australia’s under-16 social media ban is both bold and experimental. As the first country to take such sweeping action, it has sparked a necessary conversation about children’s safety, privacy and autonomy online.

Whether the law becomes a global model or a cautionary tale will depend on how it evolves, and whether policymakers are willing to adjust it in response to its real-world consequences.