How will Australia’s Social Media Ban Affect the United States?

Australia takes initiative on the issue of social media for minors, striking controversy.

On November 28, 2024, Australia’s government passed a law called the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024. It prohibits minors under 16 from having a social media account — and it raises questions on what social media limitations for minors here in the U.S could look like.

The law came into effect on December 10, 2025. It requires social media platforms (such as YouTube, X, Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, Twitch, Threads, and Kick) to take “reasonable steps” to enforce the ban or face fines up to $50 million AUD. On the first day of the new law, more than 55,000 accounts were banned by Meta.First established in 2015, The eSafety Commissioner is an independent agency of the Australian government that regulates online safety. It is able to take legal action against companies that do not comply with the ban.

Meta told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, “We call on the Australian government to engage with industry constructively to find a better way forward,” They suggested “incentivising all of industry to raise the standard in providing safe, privacy-preserving, age-appropriate experiences online, instead of blanket bans.” Still, Meta has complied with the ban, banning over half a million accounts between December 4 and 11.

According to CNBC, Australia’s government argues the ban will help to protect teens from the addictiveness of social media, which is linked to increased stress and sleep deprivation. Australia’s Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, says that the intentions behind the ban are to protect children and teenagers from cyberbullying and other potential dangers of being on the internet at such an early age. He also hopes to encourage the discovery of other hobbies and promote general well-being.

(Photograph: The Saturday Paper)

Other countries are thinking of following in Australia’s footsteps. Keir Starmer, Prime Minister of the UK, has said that he is open to the idea of an Australian-style ban on social media for young people, according to the Guardian. There are many conflicting views on the ban in the United States as well. Some states, like Georgia, Tennessee, and Louisiana, have even already passed bills that require parental consent for people under 16-years old to create social media accounts. According to the Freedom Forum, since 2021, there have been 400 proposed bills in state legislatures throughout America.However, some argue that there is a thin line between the ban and it breaching the First Amendment right to free speech. Legal challenges assert that imposing a requirement for users to prove that they satisfy an age requirement in order to access legally protected speech is an unconstitutional burden and courts in Arkansas and Ohio have both ruled that restricting minor access to social media platforms is a violation of their First Amendment rights.

In Australia however, some teens have been enjoying the ban. An interview from the BBC shares that Amy (14) has found the ban to change her daily routine positively. “I often used to call my friends on Snapchat after school, but because I am no longer able to, I went for a run,” said Amy.

However, many teenagers have also found alternatives to the ban, downloading other apps such as Lemon8. In fact, according to the ABC, Lemon8 was the top app downloaded in Australia on December 10, following Yope (a friends-only private photo messaging app, another social media app) in fourth place. Other short-form video content apps like ReelShort and Coverstar were also ranked in the top 20 most downloaded apps.

The United Nations Children's Fund Australia (better known as UNICEF Australia) claims the ban is only prolonging issues. They argue that instead, “it’s more important to make social media platforms safer and listen to young people to make sure any changes actually help.”

As of publishing, the ban has been in effect for almost two months. There is still heavy controversy and a variety of reactions surrounding this decision, with some teens enjoying a weight being taken off their shoulders, while others find ways to work around the restriction.

What Australia’s ban means exactly for the U.S. is unclear — some states are taking similar steps, but to heavy legal pushback that has, in many cases, been successful.