Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said the government's decision to ban social media for children under 16 will ensure children's childhood.

Australia began implementing a law on Wednesday to block users under the age of 16 from accessing social media. Companies like Meta, TikTok, and YouTube have deactivated millions of accounts.

Prime Minister Albanese also thanked Australian state and territory leaders for their support in implementing the decision to ban social media. He explained his move, saying it was necessary to provide greater peace of mind to parents and ensure the childhood of Australian children. The ‘Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act, 2024’, passed in Australia in November 2024, required social media platforms to block access to users under the age of 16. This law has now come into effect.

It includes Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, X (Twitter), Reddit, Twitch, Threads, and Kik app under the ‘age-restricted social media services’. This does not include some platforms such as Discord, Roblox, WhatsApp and Lemonade. However, the Australian government plans to place these apps on an ‘age-restricted’ list as the number of teenage users increases.

Prime Minister Albanese said in a video message that the government’s action will help children who have grown up with social media feeds and the pressures they bring. The government has made it clear that parents and children will not be punished for violating the ban under the law, but that the responsibility for enforcing it lies entirely with social media platforms. Platforms that are serious or repeat offenders will face fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars (about 32.8 million US dollars).