Australia’s internet regulator has declared that the country’s new under-16 social media ban marks the start of a global effort to curb Big Tech’s influence, as Meta began locking out hundreds of thousands of accounts ahead of the new law’s enforcement next week.
A Landmark Move Against Online Giants
eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said she had initially hesitated over what she described as a “blunt-force” measure but now supports the ban after years of gradual reforms failed to protect young users. Speaking at the Sydney Dialogue cyber summit on Thursday, she said, “We’ve reached a tipping point. Our data is the currency that fuels these companies, and there are these powerful, harmful, deceptive design features that even adults are powerless to fight against. What chance do our children have?”
Under the new law, social media platforms must bar users under 16 or face fines of up to A$49.5 million ($33 million). Governments around the world are closely monitoring the policy’s rollout, which Inman Grant described as “the first domino to fall” in a global push for digital accountability.
Platforms Begin Locking Accounts
Despite months of lobbying against the measure, major platforms including Meta’s Instagram, Facebook and Threads, along with TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube, have announced compliance. Meta has already begun deactivating accounts, while other platforms have started notifying underage users to back up their data before deletion or suspension.
According to the eSafety Commission, 96% of Australian teenagers under 16 more than one million young people currently have social media accounts. The law, set to take effect on 10 December, aims to reduce the mental health toll of online exposure on young users.
Sydney parent Jennifer Jennison welcomed the ban, saying, “It’s a great thing and I’m glad the pressure is taken off parents because there are so many mental health implications. Give my kids a break after school and they can rest and hang out with the family.”
Global Implications and U.S. Pushback
The regulation has prompted strong resistance from the platforms, which reportedly appealed to the U.S. government. Inman Grant revealed that she had been invited to testify before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, which described Australia’s move as an overreach threatening American free speech.
She did not confirm whether she would accept the invitation but noted the irony, saying, “By virtue of writing to me and asking me to appear before the committee, that’s also using extra-territorial reach.”
The ban represents one of the toughest social media restrictions worldwide and could influence similar moves in Europe and North America, where regulators are weighing stricter online age limits and platform accountability laws.
($1 = 1.5140 Australian dollars)
(with inputs from Reuters)
