On Wednesday, December 10, Australia made a bold move, declaring war against teen social media use by denying children under 16 the use of social media platforms. As critics question this action as a violation of free speech, Australian youths are investigating new methods to bypass governmental restrictions.
In November of 2024, the Australian government passed the Online Safety Amendment, introducing a minimum age for social media usage. It came into effect last week and removed many individuals’ access to Youtube, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, as well as a plethora of other major platforms. Prominent platforms not included within this ban include Whatsapp, Discord, and YouTube Kids as well as most videogames; however, some lobbyists are pushing to extend the ban to online gaming, citing Roblox as a strong negative influence.
The Australian government states that the prohibition is meant to reduce the negative impact of screen addiction and to minimize young people’s exposure to content that can damage their wellbeing. The push for this ban only began last year but gained traction when movements such as the “Let Them Be Kids” campaign arose, launched by newspaper publisher News Corp. along with many Australian parents and child safety advocates. The campaign included a petition, calling for a minimum age of 16 for social media use, which had gained well over 54,000 signatures. A study commissioned by the survey early in 2025 found that “96% of children aged 10-15” used social media, including seven out of 10 that had been exposed to harmful content like “misogynistic and violent material as well as content promoting eating disorders and suicide” (BBC). Due to metrics such as these as well as other factors, the Australian government is confident that the negative impact of social media on the youth vastly outweighs the positives.
Despite the undeniable positive aspects and benevolent intentions of the crackdown, many have voiced concerns that the new law violates freedom of speech and reflects policies of authoritarian regimes. NetChoice, a representative of several online tech giants including Reddit, Amazon, Paypal, Youtube just to name a few, describes the ban as a “corrosion of free speech and parental rights.” NetChoice along with others believe that there are other solutions to preserve the digital safety of children “without sacrificing liberty.” They stress the importance of empowering police, parents, and educators rather than simply seizing control.
On the other side of the spectrum relating to the policy’s relationship with free speech, people point out that Australia does not have an official federal bill of rights, being the only culturally western nation not to incorporate one. Rather, Australian courts recognize an implied freedom of communication. Tech Policy Press describes the implied freedom as operating as a limit on parliamentary power rather than an individual right.
From trying to bypass their school’s Chromebook restrictions to discovering loopholes in social media crackdowns, children invariably find a way around the rules. Just a mere 24 hours after the ban, many children began to resurface on social media. Many had new accounts, now using the faces of parents and older friends who were happy to aid in evading the age detection technology, and many children are even resorting to using AI generated images and videos of older-looking people in order to pass age checks. Furthermore, certain individuals have turned to using virtual private networks (VPNs) to bypass geographic restrictions, and a great sum of youths in Australia utilized fake birthdates when first signing up for platforms such as Snapchat which allows them to circumvent the loss of their accounts. Importantly, children and parents will not be punished for infringing the ban; instead, social media companies will receive the blame and punishments.
“This will make an enormous difference. It is one of the biggest social and cultural changes that our nation has faced,” detailed the prime minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese. “Social media is doing social harm to our kids. I’m calling time on it.”
While the government of Australia implemented this ban to protect the wellbeing of their youth, it is still too early to measure its effects. Though critics paint this legislation as a violation of rights, it seems likely that it will continue to stand for at least the near future even as children continue to find loopholes within the system. Will Australia’s ban serve as a paradigm for other nations? Its impact–both domestic and international–remains to be seen over the coming months and years.
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