{"id":366276,"date":"2025-11-11T13:30:12","date_gmt":"2025-11-11T08:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/?p=366276"},"modified":"2025-11-11T13:29:49","modified_gmt":"2025-11-11T07:59:49","slug":"australia-under-16-social-media-ban-legal-update","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/11\/11\/australia-under-16-social-media-ban-legal-update\/","title":{"rendered":"Social media off-limits for under-16s starting December 2025 as Australia sets Age Limit"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;\">\n<p>In a move to safeguard children and reshape the regulatory landscape of digital access, Australia has enacted the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legislation.gov.au\/C2024A00127\/asmade\/text\" target=\"_blank\"><span class=\"Hyperlink\" style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024<\/span><\/a>, amending the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legislation.gov.au\/C2021A00076\/latest\/text\" target=\"_blank\"><span class=\"Hyperlink\" style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Online Safety Act 2021<\/span><\/a>. This legislation introduces <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">a minimum age of 16 for social media use<\/span>, supported by a comprehensive framework of compliance obligations, privacy protections, civil penalties, and regulatory oversight.<\/p>\n<ul style=\"list-style-type: disc;\">\n<li>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\"><span style=\"font-style: italic;\">Assented on:<\/span><\/span> 10-12-2024<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;\">Commenced on:<\/span> 11-12-2024<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\"><span style=\"font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;\">Enforcement of penalties begins:<\/span>10-12-2025<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>The Foundation and Timeline:<\/h3>\n<ul style=\"list-style-type: disc;\">\n<li>\n<p>In <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">2023<\/span>, rising public concern over the effects of social media on children around mental health, cyberbullying, and addictive platform design, prompted the Australian Government to initiate consultations on age-based restrictions. These discussions laid the groundwork for drafting the amendment to the <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Online Safety Act 2021<\/span>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>The proposed legislation, titled the <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024<\/span>, was introduced in Parliament on 21-11-2024 and swiftly progressed through both Houses.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>It received <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Royal Assent on 10-12-2024<\/span> and commenced the following day <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">11-12-2024<\/span>. Recognizing the operational demands on platforms, the government included a delayed enforcement clause under <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Section 63E<\/span>, allowing up to 12 months for compliance.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>On 29-7-2025, the Minister for Communications, <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Anika Wells<\/span>, issued the <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Online Safety (Day of Effect of Social Media Minimum Age) Instrument 2025<\/span><a id=\"fnref1\" href=\"#fn1\" title=\"1. https:\/\/www.legislation.gov.au\/F2025N00628\/asmade\/text\"><sup>1<\/sup><\/a>, specifying <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">10-12-2025<\/span> as the date Section 63D would take effect.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">The Minister also released the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legislation.gov.au\/F2025L00889\/latest\/text\" target=\"_blank\">legislative rules<\/a>&nbsp;clarifying which types of services are excluded from the age restrictions.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>The Under 16 Social Media Ban:<\/h3>\n<ul style=\"list-style-type: disc;\">\n<li>\n<p>The Act states social media platforms are required to take reasonable steps to prevent children under the age of 16 from maintaining social media accounts.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Section 5<\/span> introduces two critical definitions:<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;\">&#9675; Age-restricted user: Children under 16<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;\">&#9675; Age-restricted social media platform: A service primarily enabling online social interaction, posting, and linking between users.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Section 63C<\/span> outlines the criteria for determining whether a platform qualifies as age restricted. It excludes platforms used solely for business interaction.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>The Commissioner&#8217;s duties include:<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;\">&#9675; Coordinating online safety efforts across government<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;\">&#9675; Advising the Minister on platform classification<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;\">&#9675; Promoting and formulating compliance guidelines<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">Under <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Sections 63DA and 63DB<\/span>, providers bear the evidential burden of proving that no reasonable steps could be taken to comply, an important legal step that balances enforcement with operational feasibility.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>The Penalties:<\/h3>\n<ul style=\"list-style-type: disc;\">\n<li>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Section 63D<\/span> imposes a civil penalty on providers who fail to take reasonable steps to prevent age-restricted users from maintaining accounts.<\/p>\n<p>Penalty: <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">30,000<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">penalty units<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Section 63DA<\/span> prohibits the collection of certain types of personal information for age verification, unless explicitly permitted by legislative rules. This includes sensitive data such as government-issued identification.<\/p>\n<p>Penalty: <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">30,000 penalty units<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Section 63DB<\/span> further restricts the use of Digital ID services and government-issued identification materials for compliance purposes, unless alternative, reasonable verification methods are provided.<\/p>\n<p>Penalty: <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">30,000 penalty units<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Section 63H<\/span> mandates compliance with information notices issued under Section 63G. Failure to comply attracts a civil penalty.<\/p>\n<p>Penalty: <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">500 penalty units<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\"><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Sections 63DA and 63DB<\/span>, the provider bears the evidential burden of proving that no reasonable steps could be taken to comply. This legal nuance ensures accountability while recognizing operational constraints.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>The Privacy Protection:<\/h3>\n<ul style=\"list-style-type: disc;\">\n<li>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Section 63F<\/span> integrates privacy safeguards aligned with the <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Privacy Act 1988<\/span>:<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;\">&#9675; Improper use or disclosure of personal information collected for age verification is deemed an <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">interference with privacy<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;\">&#9675; Entities must <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">destroy such data<\/span> after its intended use; failure to do so constitutes a privacy breach.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Division 4<\/span> empowers the Commissioner to compel platforms to provide compliance-related information<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;\">&#9675; <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Section 63G<\/span>: Written notices may be issued to providers believed to hold relevant information<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;\">&#9675; <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Section 63H<\/span>: Mandates compliance, with penalties for failure to respond<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">These provisions ensure transparency and enable proactive regulatory oversight.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>The Public Disclosure:<\/h3>\n<ul style=\"list-style-type: disc;\">\n<li>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Sections 63J<\/span> and <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">63K<\/span> authorize the Commissioner or Information Commissioner to issue public statements if a platform violates age restriction or privacy rules.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">These statements will be published on their respective websites.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>The Additional Amendment:<\/h3>\n<ul style=\"list-style-type: disc;\">\n<li>\n<p>The Amendment Act strengthens regulatory enforcement through changes to <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Sections 143 and 146<\/span> of the<span style=\"font-weight: bold;\"> Online Safety Act 2021<\/span>, increasing penalties for non-compliance with industry codes and standards from <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">500 to 30,000 units<\/span>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Certain procedural protections previously available under the <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Regulatory Powers (Standard Provisions) Act 2014<\/span> have been removed, streamlining the regulator&#8217;s ability to impose penalties.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Section 222A<\/span> grants the Information Commissioner immunity from liability for actions taken in good faith under the Act, reinforcing the independence and integrity of regulatory oversight.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>To ensure accountability and adaptability, <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Section 239B<\/span> mandates an independent review of <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Part 4A<\/span> within <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">2 years<\/span> of its enforcement date. This review will evaluate the adequacy of privacy protections and other operational aspects, with a written report to be tabled in both Houses of Parliament.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Schedule 2<\/span> of the <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Age Discrimination Act 2004<\/span> has been updated to include references to <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Part 4A<\/span>, ensuring that the new social media age framework aligns with broader anti-discrimination legal standards.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<hr\/>\n<p style=\"margin-left: 18pt; text-indent: -18pt;\"><a id=\"fn1\" href=\"#fnref1\">1.<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legislation.gov.au\/F2025N00628\/asmade\/text\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.legislation.gov.au\/F2025N00628\/asmade\/text<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p style=\"font-style: italic;\">Read how Australia&#8217;s Social Media Ban for users under 16 will be enforced, with penalties starting December 2025.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":67525,"featured_media":366285,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,4],"tags":[92350,92343,92346,71734,92349,92345,92344,92341,92348,42527,92347,92342],"class_list":["post-366276","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-foreign","category-legislationupdates","tag-age-verification-rules","tag-australian-government","tag-civil-penalties","tag-digital-laws","tag-media-protection","tag-mental-health-of-children","tag-online-safety","tag-online-safety-act-2021","tag-social-media-account-regulation","tag-social-media-ban","tag-social-media-use","tag-under-16"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.4 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Inside 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