Australian Prime Minister addressing the recent social media ban                                                       Reuters

Australian Social Media Ban

BY RITIKA ANNAMANENI & DRISHYA NISHANTH

SEPT 29, 2025, 8:00 A.M.

Beginning on December 10, 2025, the Australian Parliament plans to enforce the world’s first nationwide ban on the creation of social media accounts for children under the age of 16. Amid growing parental unease over children’s social media use, the Australian Parliament has pushed over 30 bills, ushering in one of the strictest Internet restrictions in global history. Platforms affected by the ban include Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat, with fines up to AUD $50 million if said platforms fail to take reasonable steps. 

The government is currently experimenting with enforcement methods, such as requiring biometric data and proof of identification, showing its commitment to this ban. They also prohibited parents from consenting to their children using social media, closing loopholes that could create flexibility in the ban. Some exemptions for child-friendly platforms do exist, however; applications like YouTube Kids and educational online games will still be available for children under 16. 

Although the government has provided bipartisan support for this legislation, numerous concerns have been raised by the public. Arguments include the fact that it may limit free expression, interpersonal connections, or access to information that youth could experience. Some EBHS teens share this sentiment, as junior Gabriella Supan notes: “Banning social media may reduce exposure to online scams and exploitation, but it also reduces access to educational content.” There is also the fact that biometric data can be used, posing a whole other world of doubt. Users risk forfeiting their privacy to the companies that hold their information, perpetuating an issue that has been long debated since stepping into the digital era.

Despite criticism, some feel this ban should be received positively, mitigating the harmful effects the digital world can impose on young kids. For example, EBHS junior Madeline Nonestied said, “I think the ban was a step in the right direction. The internet has begun to consume kids from a young age, as seen by the term 'iPad kid’, but I think the ban should consider lowering the age limit by 1-2 years.” Meanwhile, EBHS junior Dannelle Sumilang said she has mixed feelings on the initiative, as it is a “somewhat ineffective approach since kids may find loopholes or more harmful avenues, but it addresses harms like cyberbullying and inappropriate content.” There is nuance to opinions supporting the ban, but overall, some teens see it as an opportunity to reduce the negative effects kids could experience from the online world.

This brand-new initiative has sparked inquiries, support, and criticism from around the globe, all placing certain pressures on the government’s actions. While some see it as limiting children and their freedoms, many see it as lifting a burden from parents and their worries of raising a new generation in the unfamiliar digital era, which could potentially expose them negatively. Despite this, this law is set to go into effect, and so the world watches in anticipation for the upcoming effects of this ban on the Australian youth.