Australia’s landmark social media ban for users under 16 is now officially in force. The new law prohibits minors from creating accounts on a wide range of major platforms. The banned apps include Instagram, Facebook, Threads, X (Twitter), Snapchat, Kick, Twitch, TikTok, Reddit, and YouTube.
The law specifically targets individuals under 16 who are “ordinarily a resident in Australia.” This legal phrasing is crucial for determining who falls under the ban’s jurisdiction.
A key question concerns enforcement for visitors. The law is designed for ordinary residents, not short-term visitors. Tech companies will use specific signals to detect a user’s usual country of residence, extending beyond simple location tracking.
Under-16s in Australia are now banned from using major social media services including Tiktok, X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and Threads.
They cannot set up new accounts and existing profiles are being deactivated.
The ban is the first of its kind and is being… pic.twitter.com/grYxh3U6xQ
— Yahoo News (@YahooNews) December 9, 2025This means teenage tourists visiting Australia for a short holiday will not be blocked from accessing their existing accounts. However, the situation is different for international students under 16 who reside in Australia for study.
As reported by the BBC, platforms may conduct age-verification checks on users detected in Australia. Individuals identified as under-16 ordinary residents could face account restrictions.
Read: Meta to Remove Under-16 Users in Australia Ahead of Social Media Ban
If a platform determines a user is under 16 and ordinarily resident in Australia, it may deactivate the account. This action would likely occur after detecting a user’s presence in the country for an extended period, consistent with the “ordinary residence” clause.
This policy represents one of the world’s most restrictive age-based social media laws, placing the compliance burden on technology companies to accurately identify and restrict underage users based on residency.
