One month after introducing the ban on under-16s in Australia, the government is drawing positive conclusions. More than 4.7 million young people’s accounts have been deactivated.
16.01.2026 | 0:21 min
For a good month now, children and young people under the age of 16 in Australia have no longer been allowed to have their own social media accounts. Now there are the first figures: According to the government, more than 4.7 million accounts of children and young people have been deactivated, deleted or restricted since the relevant law came into force on December 10th.
Australia was the first country in the world to introduce corresponding rules and is therefore considered a pioneer in digital child protection.
Social media shutdown for children: Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Co. affected
According to preliminary evaluations by the online security authority eSafety, affected platforms are making “serious efforts” to deny access to minors. Change doesn’t happen overnight, said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. “But these first results show how important it was that we took this step.”
We want our children to have a childhood – and for parents to know that we have their back.
Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister of Australia
Anyone under the age of 16 is no longer allowed to have social media accounts in Australia. Messenger services remain permitted – young people themselves don’t think much of it.
10.12.2025 | 1:44 min
Communications Minister Anika Wells said: “We have defied everyone who said it was impossible – some of the world’s most powerful and richest companies and their backers.”
Meta: 550,000 accounts removed
Those affected by the law include Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook, YouTube, Platform X, Reddit and Twitch. Various messenger and game services such as Roblox, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger are excluded.
Authorities did not release platform-specific figures. However, Meta, owner of Facebook, Instagram and Threads, said this week that nearly 550,000 accounts belonging to users under 16 had been removed as of the day after the ban went into effect.
Australia restricts social media for teenagers. In Germany, too, more than a quarter of young people display risky usage behavior.
10.12.2025 | 2:16 min
Reddit is suing the law
The law had already been passed at the end of 2024. Almost all major parties had supported Prime Minister Albanese’s initiative in parliament. The platforms were given twelve months to adapt to the new age restrictions.
In the event of violations, companies face hefty fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars (28.5 million euros). Reddit has filed a lawsuit against the ban.
A social media ban in Germany would have a “signaling effect,” says author Koblitz. Media researcher Prof. Kettemann considers a ban-oriented policy to be difficult.
10.12.2025 | 17:04 min
Those: dpa, AP
