Social Media Age Restrictions

What you need to know from 10 December 2025: Australian young people under 16 will not be allowed to create or hold accounts on certain social media platforms.  

Why? Social media age restrictions.

Delaying account access allows more time for young people to build digital literacy and greater resilience.

How will it work? Under the law, the responsibility lies with the age-restricted platforms to find and deactivate existing accounts held by under-16s and to prevent under-16s from creating new accounts. There are no penalties for under-16s who access an age-restricted social media platform, or for their parents or carers.

Social media platforms. The age restrictions are likely to apply to Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X and YouTube, as well as other platforms.​ A more comprehensive list is attached in the flyer links below.