On December 10, 2025, a social media ban for under-16s was imposed in Australia, making it the first country to implement such a measure. This ban was introduced under the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill, passed on November 28, 2024.
Under this law, anyone under 16 years of age in Australia is banned from maintaining an account on any social media platform, including Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, X, YouTube, Facebook, or others.
Reason Behind the Ban
The under-16 social media ban has been imposed as a child safety measure to protect young people, especially teenagers, from the adverse effects of social media.
With the growing use of social media platforms worldwide, children have emerged as the most affected. Whether it is mental health concerns or exposure to cybercrime, young users are often easy prey to these risks.
As per UNICEF Australia, “The social media ban is needed to protect the mental health and wellbeing of Australian children and teens. They believe the risks of social media, such as cyberbullying, harmful content, and online predators, outweigh the positives.”
According to a study commissioned by the Australian Government in 2025, about 96 per cent of children aged 10 to 15 are active users of social media, and seven out of ten have been exposed to its harmful side. This includes the spread of strong misogynistic and obsolete views, as well as the normalisation of eating disorders, leading to poor self-image among teenagers.
Further, one out of seven children has reported abusive manipulation as well as cyberbullying from adults and other users. As per the Australian Government, this step is expected to reduce the harmful effects of social media’s design features that encourage young people to spend more time on screens while serving up content that can harm their health and wellbeing.
Following this, social media companies have been ordered to deactivate the accounts of users below 16 years of age. Failure to comply with the ban will result in social media platforms facing a penalty of AUD 49.5 million, equivalent to INR 295.17 crore.
The ban was fueled by the deaths of two Australian teenagers, Oliver ‘Ollie’ Hughes and Matilda ‘Tilly’ Rosewarne, both of whom were exposed to the darker side of social media. Speaking to authorities, the families of both teenagers have blamed social media for their tragic deaths.
As per Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, “This will make an enormous difference. It is one of the biggest social and cultural changes that our nation has faced.” He emphasised the need for young children to “start a new sport, learn a new instrument, or read that book that has been sitting there for some time on your shelf.”
Read More: Australian Teens Are Finding Ways Around The Social Media Ban For Users Under 16 Years Of Age
What India Thinks of the Ban
The adverse effects of social media and cybercrime are no secret in India. As per CloudSEK, a cybersecurity intelligence firm, India is estimated to lose almost Rs 20,000 crore owing to cybercrime in 2025 alone. Further, cases of cyberbullying and other crimes against social media users have also seen a surge, with children proving to be the most vulnerable.
As Australia made global headlines after implementing the new law, India too has taken up the conversation. Experts have shared their opinions on how social media affects children and what the future of social media in India might look like.
Addressing the gravity of the situation, Dr Manoj Sharma, Head of Service at the Healthy Use of Technology (SHUT) Clinic at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, revealed data highlighting how technology addiction is a growing threat in India.
“This parent support group that we run has taken place online over the past four months. We covered 5,000 parents in three months, and then 40 new parents from across the country joined such discussions over the next fortnight,” Manoj told The Times of India.
He highlighted parents’ concerns regarding the increasing threats posed by online platforms to their families, calling it an “inter-generational concern”. He said, “Parents want to know the dos and don’ts for families and how to manage escalation. They too are feeling stressed with professional and family pressures and want to keep their mental health intact.”
Further, speaking to The Times of India, Dr Monica Sudhir, a counselling psychologist, also discussed the growing attention this issue is drawing.
Acknowledging the rising addiction among children to social media, she suggested that it is important to adapt classroom teaching methods. She highlighted the importance of making children complete assignments in the classroom rather than at home, to avoid complete reliance on AI.
“I have seen really young children become extremely hyperactive and addicted in my clinic, children who are not able to leave their phones or who have severe, violent anger tantrums if the devices are taken away,” Monica revealed in the interview.
Additionally, she added, “We cannot stick to traditional methods of teaching in an era when attention spans and retention are declining. Students struggle to form coherent sentences with excessive use of technology, and it is a larger problem.
We need to equip children with the ability to process information, give them assignments in the classroom instead of allowing them to do it at home, where they will use AI end to end.”
For a generation that has grown up surrounded by screens, banning children’s access to the internet may not be the ultimate solution to the problems it creates.
Awareness, education, and learning to grow with AI rather than relying on it entirely, along with carefully designed legislative measures, can help India address the situation more effectively without depriving young minds of the benefits and opportunities that technology offers.
Images: Google Images
Sources: Firstpost, The Times of India, UNICEF Australia
Find the blogger: @shubhangichoudhary_29
This post is tagged under: Australia under 16 social media ban, Australia social media law, teen social media ban, online safety law, child safety online, social media and mental health, India social media debate, cybercrime and youth, digital regulation
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