eSafety Commissioner

New Social Media Age Restrictions: What It Means for Students and Families

The Australian Government is introducing a landmark reform aimed at enhancing the online safety of children and young people: from 10 December, certain social media platforms in Australia will no longer allow users under the age of 16 to create or maintain an account. This ban is designed to give young people more time to mature before taking on the risks that come with full social media membership. 

Why is this change happening? The eSafety Commissioner notes that being logged into an account on platforms with wide access can increase exposure to features and content that can harm young people’s health and wellbeing. For example, pressure to spend more time online, exposure to harmful content, and difficulty managing privacy and peer-interactions. 

So what should families and schools know? Below are some helpful links to answer the questions you may have about this upcoming ban. We encourage you to look through these to help understand what is happening, and what you can do to support your children and students during this time.

• Information for Students
• Information for Families
• Information for Teachers

This change offers a valuable opportunity to reinforce online safety education in our school community. It encourages us to engage students in conversations about responsible social media use, the importance of digital wellbeing, and how to make safe and positive choices online.

As our students navigate their digital lives, we invite families and school staff to explore the resources available on the eSafety website and work together to support healthy, safe and respectful online engagement.