Australia and Indonesia Crack Down on Underage Social Media Use

Australia and Indonesia have implemented stringent regulations aimed at preventing children under the age of 16 from accessing social media platforms. The Australian government introduced the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act in December 2025, designating platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube as “age-restricted.” This law mandates that these companies take reasonable steps to prevent underage users from creating accounts, with penalties for non-compliance reaching up to AUD 49.5 million (USD 33.9 million). Similarly, Indonesia has enacted a law requiring social media companies to verify users' ages and deactivate accounts of those under 16, with officials from Google and Meta recently summoned for alleged violations.

Benzinga

Despite the regulations, compliance has proven problematic. A survey of 900 Australian parents revealed that approximately 31% of children still maintained social media accounts post-ban, with around 70% of under-16s who previously had accounts on platforms like Instagram and TikTok retaining access. The eSafety Commission of Australia has initiated investigations into major tech firms, including Meta, TikTok, and Google, for their failure to adequately enforce the age restrictions. Communications Minister Anika Wells criticized these companies for doing “the absolute bare minimum” and emphasized that they must adhere to Australian laws if they wish to operate in the country.

WIONThe GuardianAustralia accuses TikTok, Meta, Google of disobeying social media banBenzingaNew York Times

Meta has acknowledged the challenges of accurately determining age online, particularly at the 16-year threshold, and has called for stronger age verification measures at the app store and operating system levels. The company stated, “We’ve also been clear that accurately determining age online is a challenge for the whole industry.” TikTok and Google did not provide comments at the time of publication. The Australian government reported that over 4.7 million accounts were deactivated shortly after the law's implementation, yet ongoing access by minors raises questions about the effectiveness of these measures.

WION

The eSafety Commission's report highlighted several shortcomings in the enforcement of the age restrictions. It noted that many platforms allowed repeated attempts at age verification and did not adequately prompt users to verify their ages. Concerns were raised about the reliability of facial age estimation technology, which may misclassify younger users as older. Anika Wells remarked on the apparent “deliberate resistance” from these companies, suggesting that they are attempting to undermine regulatory efforts.

The Guardian

The situation in Australia is being closely monitored by other countries considering similar age-based restrictions, including France, the United Kingdom, and several nations in Europe. As the Australian government prepares to take enforcement action against non-compliant platforms, the effectiveness of these regulations will likely influence global discussions on child safety in the digital space.

Benzinga

• “If these companies want to do business in Australia, they must obey Australian laws.” — Anika Wells, Australian Communications Minister

The Guardian

• “The most effective, privacy-protective and consistent approach is to require robust age verification and parental approval at the app store and operating system level before a teen can download an app or create an account.” — Meta spokesperson

The Guardian

• “What we are seeing is evidence of the absolute bare minimum from social media companies.” — Anika Wells, Australian Communications Minister

Australia accuses TikTok, Meta, Google of disobeying social media ban

While the Australian government claims significant account removals, the eSafety Commission's findings indicate that a substantial number of underage users continue to access social media. The discrepancy between reported account deactivations and ongoing access by minors highlights critical gaps in enforcement and compliance.

Australia accuses TikTok, Meta, Google of disobeying social media ban