Under-16s social media ban lands in Australia

• Australia's under-16s social media ban starts today (December 10)
• Ten social media platforms fall under the scope of the law
• Using a VPN is unlikely to help children bypass the restrictions

Australian teens are being locked out of popular social media apps. Starting today (December 10, 2025), the country has officially launched its long-awaited under-16s social media ban.

Platforms including YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat are required to take "reasonable steps" to prevent people under the age of 16 from using their services. Fines for non-compliance can reach $49.5 million AUD (approximately $32 million USD).

The move has been praised by child advocates and enjoys broad public support, but it has divided technologists and privacy experts who fear for citizens' privacy and security.

As seen in other countries with age verification measures, Australian officials are aware that some users will try to circumvent the ban using VPN, but it's unclear if the best VPNs could help people bypass the rules in any case.

That doesn't mean that people won't try. Google Trends data already shows a slight uptick in the search volume for the term "VPN" in the hours leading up to the ban.

How social media providers are complying with the new rules

As per the eSafety Commissioner directive, ten platforms are currently required to implement the ban for under-16s ban: Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, Twitch, X, and YouTube.

Teens can currently continue to use apps deemed lower risk, including WhatsApp, Discord, Roblox, and Pinterest. However, the regulator notes it "may assess new services that emerge or reassess existing ones if they evolve to the extent that their purpose changes."

Regulated platforms are required to close existing accounts held by teens and prevent under-16s from creating new ones.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, began implementing the new requirements on December 4, although Messenger is not impacted. The company is notifying accounts suspected of belonging to under-16s and offering users the chance to verify their age if they have been mistakenly impacted.

Similarly, YouTube said all users under 16 will be automatically logged out.

Reddit has also begun notifying Australian users via email with an email saying: "we disagree with the Government's assessment of Reddit as being within the scope of the law," according to the message shared by this Reddit user.

What's next?

With Australia's world-first teen social media ban now in effect, we anticipate that citizens will increasingly take matters into their own hands.

Young users are already reportedly moving towards alternative apps, with lesser-known platforms such as Coverstar, Lemon8, and Rednote becoming popular, according to the Guardian.

VPN searches are likely to increase further as the day progresses, providing a better idea of whether the technology and other circumvention tools can actually bypass the restrictions.

Details regarding platform-specific age verification methods will also become clearer in the coming hours as the 10 platforms within the scope of the law implement changes to comply.

TechRadar will continue to monitor events as they unfold. And we certainly won't be alone – politicians from around the world are watching closely, with the likes of Malaysia and the EU already considering similar laws/

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