Complying with Australia’s Social Media Ban: What You Need to Know

Australia has passed new legislation to better protect children online. The Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024 requires social media platforms classified as Age Restricted Social Media Platforms (ARSMPs) to take “reasonable steps” to prevent anyone under 16 from creating or keeping an account, starting December 10, 2025.

Separately, but alongside these reforms, the government had already initiated an Age Assurance Technology Trial,  which PRIVO participated in,  to evaluate the real-world performance, privacy, usability and security of age assurance technologies. that included parental controls, and parental consent. The trial findings now provide the evidence base for how platforms can meet their obligations under the new law. 

What Is Australia’s Social Media “Delay”?
While often referred to as a “ban,” Australia’s Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024 is more accurately a “social media delay.”

As eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant explains:

“We refer to this, rather than as a ban, as a ‘social media delay’ to provide kids with valuable time to boost their digital & algorithmic literacy skills. This normative change will provide important reinforcement for parents that they aren't being punitive, or complicit in their children feeling excluded, because the platforms will be required from preventing ALL under-aged users under 16s from having an account - not just them."

The aim is not to cut kids off from essential digital lifelines, but to shield them from harmful design features, addictive algorithms, and inappropriate content while giving families and educators more tools to build resilience.

Which Platforms Are Affected?
The restrictions apply to platforms that:

• Have the purpose (or a significant purpose) of enabling social interaction between users
• Allow users to link to or interact with other users
• Allow users to post material on the service

Exclusions include:

• Messaging, email, voice and video calling services
• Online games (unless they have significant social media–style features)
• Services for professional networking, education, or healthcare

Effective Date
December 10, 2025
From this date, children under 16 cannot create new accounts, and platforms must take reasonable steps to identify and deactivate accounts held by underage users.

Key Requirements for Platforms

• Take “reasonable steps” to prevent under-16s from creating accounts
• Deactivate existing under-16 accounts
• Use effective proof-of-age methods (guidance to be published by eSafety, drawing from the Age Assurance Technology Trial)
• Retain data only as long as necessary and allow parents to request deletion

Enforcement
eSafety will oversee compliance and enforcement through the Online Safety Act, with penalties of up to $49.5M AUD for corporations that fail to comply.

What Businesses Need to Do Next

• Assess whether your platform falls under the new restrictions
• Implement age assurance and verification tools that meet Australian standards
• Prepare workflows for account deactivation where under-16 users are identified
• Build privacy and safety by design into your user experience

Why Work with PRIVO?
The PRIVO iD Platform is jurisdiction-aware—helping companies comply with the US federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), the EU & UK GDPR, Children’s Codes, and now Australia’s new rules.

Our age verification solutions combined with our smart age gate, are trusted by leading family brands worldwide to:
✔️ Verify age and obtain parental consent seamlessly
✔️ Adapt workflows based on region and regulation
✔️ Reduce risk and build trust with regulators, parents, and users

Don’t wait until December 2025. Prepare now with PRIVO.

👉 Contact PRIVO to Learn More

Additional Resources

• Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024 – Fact sheet
  
• eSafety FAQs on Social Media Age Restrictions
• eSafety Commissioner social media age restrictions consultation