ESafety

Social media age restrictions

The Australian Government is protecting young Australians at a critical stage of their development, through world-first social media age restrictions.

From 10 December 2025, age-restricted social media platforms will have to take reasonable steps to prevent Australians under the age of 16 from creating or keeping an account.

The restrictions aim to protect young Australians from pressures and risks that users can be exposed to while logged in to social media accounts. These come from design features that encourage them to spend more time on screens, while also serving up content that can harm their health and wellbeing.

As of 21 November 2025, it is eSafety's view that Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, Twitch, X, YouTube, Kick and Reddit are age-restricted platforms. This list will continue to be updated prior to 10 December. Find the latest details about which platforms are age-restricted.

More generally, age restrictions will apply to social media platforms that meet three specific conditions, unless they are excluded based on criteria set in out in legislative rules made by the Minister for Communications in July 2025.

The conditions for age restriction are:

• the sole purpose, or a significant purpose, of the service is to enable online social interaction between two or more end-users
• the service allows end-users to link to, or interact with, some or all of the other end-users

• the service allows end-users to post material on the service.

   

Online gaming and standalone messaging apps are among a number of types of services that have been excluded under the legislative rules. However, messaging services that have social-media style features which allow users to interact in other ways apart from messaging may be included in the age restrictions, as well as messaging features accessed through age-restricted social media accounts.

Keep reading this page for more details about the legislation and how it fits into the Australian regulatory environment.

Find out the facts about the social media 'ban' or delay

It’s not a ban, it’s a delay to having accounts. 

This means there will be no penalties for under-16s who access an age-restricted social media platform, or for their parents or carers. However, age-restricted social media platforms may face penalties if they don’t take reasonable steps to prevent under-16s from having accounts.

Details about how the age restrictions will operate and other information that will help Australians prepare for the change can be found at eSafety's social media age restrictions hub. 

Read here for more information