Major reforms
Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024
10 December 2025
This law restricts social media access to people aged 16 and older.
In response to growing concerns about the impact of social media on young people’s mental health and safety, the Australian Parliament created the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024. The first law of its kind in the world, it restricts users under the age of 16 from accessing platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat. The law requires social media companies to create age verification systems to prevent young people from accessing their platforms. Social media companies can be fined if they don’t have suitable systems in place to check how old their users are.
To help ensure the law remains effective as technology evolves, it includes a form of delegated law. The law gives the Minister for Communications, working with the eSafety Commissioner, the power to decide which platforms are included in the ban. This allows the law to adapt to new social media platforms without requiring changes to be passed in Parliament.
The law sparked national debate about privacy, digital rights and the role of government in regulating online spaces.