How to support your child under 16 with the new social media age restrictions

From 10 December 2025, the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024 will require social media platforms to:

Prevent children and young people under 16 from having a social media account
Deactivate or freeze existing accounts held by people under 16.

Delaying access to social media protects the health and well-being of young people, giving them extra time to build real-world connections and develop digital literacy skills.

The responsibility will lie with social media platforms, not parents, carers, children, or schools, to implement these new restrictions.

Most popular social media platforms will be age-restricted. These include Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), Reddit and YouTube.

Messaging services, online games, as well as apps and platforms that support health and education, can still be utilised.

How to help under-16s prepare for the change.

Parents and carers play an important role in supporting their children to be safe online.

To help get under-16s ready for the social media minimum age requirements, you can go to the eSafety website to learn more about the social media age restrictions and find tips on how to talk about social media age restrictions with young people.

What the change means for our school

At our school, all age-restricted social media platforms are blocked for student use on the school network.

To keep up to date with the new social media age restrictions, visit the eSafety website and subscribe to their newsletter.

2026 Student Leadership