Australia has widened its landmark social media restrictions to include message board Reddit and livestreaming platform Kick, joining other major networks that must block children under 16 from creating accounts starting December 10, the government announced on Wednesday.
The new law, described as a world first, already applies to Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, and YouTube. Communications Minister Anika Wells said the move reflects growing concern about the effects of social media on young users and the government’s determination to keep children safe online.
Platforms that fail to take “reasonable steps” to prevent underage users from accessing their services could face fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars (€28.3 million). “We have met with several of the social media platforms in the past month so that they understand there is no excuse for failure to implement this law,” Wells told reporters in Canberra.
She said the government expects the same technology companies use to target children with advertising and recommendations to be used to protect them instead. “Online platforms use technology to target children with chilling control. We are merely asking that they use that same technology to keep children safe online,” Wells said.
The law will be enforced by Australia’s eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, who said the list of restricted platforms will evolve as new technologies and social media services emerge. The nine platforms currently covered meet the government’s definition of having a “sole or significant purpose to enable online social interaction.”
Inman Grant said her office will monitor the effects of the ban to better understand how it impacts children’s behaviour and wellbeing. “We’ll also look for unintended consequences and we’ll be gathering evidence so that others could learn from Australia’s achievements,” she said.
The Australian model has already drawn attention overseas. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told a United Nations forum in September that she was “inspired” by Australia’s “common sense” approach to age restrictions. Denmark’s Ambassador to Australia, Ingrid Dahl-Madsen, also said her government would closely study the policy as it develops its own strategies to reduce social media harm among children.
However, the legislation has also sparked debate. Critics argue that enforcing an age limit could compromise the privacy of all users, as platforms would need to verify ages through personal data collection. More than 140 Australian and international academics signed an open letter to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last year, calling the measure “too blunt an instrument to address risks effectively.”
Wells said the government remains committed to balancing child safety with user privacy and data protection. “We are making sure that the system is secure, fair, and focused on protecting children without compromising Australians’ right to privacy,” she said.
