Age Verification Laws Secria

Age Verification LawsCountries

Australia's social media minimum age

Since 10 December 2025, age-restricted social media platforms must take reasonable steps to stop Australians under 16 from creating or keeping an account.1 Children and parents face no penalty.1

Checked 28 October 2026 against the sources.

Which platforms are covered

eSafety, the regulator, considers these ten to be age-restricted, among others. It says the list may change.1

The test

A platform is covered if a sole or significant purpose is social interaction between users, users can link to or interact with each other and post material, it has a recommender or logged-in feature, and its material reaches users in Australia.1

What is left out

Online gaming and standalone messaging apps are among the services excluded by the rules. Messaging services with social media style features can still be included.1

Who can be fined

The duty is on the platform. eSafety calls it "not a ban", but "a delay to having accounts".1

Platforms

If a court finds a platform has not taken reasonable steps, it can order civil penalties of up to 300,000 penalty units for a corporation, which eSafety puts at A$109.2 million.1

Children and parents

There are no penalties for under-16s who use an age-restricted platform, or for their parents or carers.1

This page describes laws and regulator decisions. It is not legal advice.

What has happened since

  1. The Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill receives Royal Assent.1
  2. The Minister makes rules on which kinds of services are excluded.1
  3. The minimum age takes effect.1
  4. eSafety reports that platforms removed access to 4.7 million under-16 accounts by mid-December 2025.1
  5. The rules are amended to target services with addictive or otherwise harmful design. eSafety says its view of the listed platforms did not change.1
  6. Parliament passes a bill that gives eSafety stronger powers to compel information, including from age assurance providers and app stores, and raises the maximum penalties.1

Questions people ask

Is YouTube included in Australia's social media ban?

Yes. eSafety lists YouTube among the age-restricted platforms.1

Will my child be fined for having an account?

No. There are no penalties for under-16s or for their parents or carers. Only platforms can face penalties.1

Are games and messaging apps covered?

Online gaming and standalone messaging apps are excluded under the rules, though messaging services with social media style features may be included.1

Will the law be reviewed?

Yes. The Minister must start an independent review of how it works within two years of 10 December 2025.1

Sources 1
  1. Social media age restrictions, eSafety Commissioner, Australia. Read 28 October 2026 from the Internet Archive copy of 18 October 2026 (the live site did not load for us).

Every fact here comes from the regulator, checked again and dated. How we check