Australia’s ban on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and others for teens to take effect tomorrow; fine up to $33 million for violations

Australia’s ban on social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube for those under 16 years of age is set to take effect tomorrow, i.e. December 10. With this, Australia will become the first country to implement a minimum age for social media use.

Recently, Australia passed a law mandating 10 of the biggest platforms to block Australians aged under 16 or be fined up to A$49.5 million ($33 million).

Backlash against Australia’s social media ban for teens

Australia’s law to ban social media for those under 16 years of age has received harsh criticism from both free speech advocates as well as major technology companies. The move is facing a High Court challenge led by a 15-year-old student, Noah Jones who reportedly said that the law will not protect young people but will instead make the internet more dangerous.

As reported by news agency Reuters, Jones, who is co-plaintiff in the case alongside another teenage, believe that the ban would be widely circumvented and push young users into less regulated corners of the internet.

“This measure will make the internet less safe for young people,” he argued, stressing that social media is essential for staying connected and sharing ideas, likening it to a modern-day town square.

More countries to ban social media for teens

While Australia is the first country to implement a minimum age for social media use, experts suggest it may not be the last. Governments, Reuters report says, from Denmark to Malaysia - and even some states in the US are planning similar steps."While Australia is the first to adopt such restrictions, it is unlikely to be the last," said Tama Leaver, a professor of internet studies at Curtin University as quoted in the report."Governments around the world are watching how the power of Big Tech was successfully taken on. The social media ban in Australia ... is very much the canary in the coal mine."Reuters also quoted a British government spokesperson who said it was "closely monitoring Australia's approach to age restrictions." "When it comes to children's safety, nothing is off the table," they added.

What YouTube, Instagram and other platforms say

The ban initially covers 10 platforms, including YouTube, Meta's Instagram and TikTok. Of these 10, all but Elon Musk's X have said they will comply using age inference. Musk has said the ban "seems like a backdoor way to control access to the internet by all Australians" and most platforms have complained that it violates people's right to free speech. Reuters report that platforms say they don't make much money showing advertisements to under-16s, adding the ban interrupts a pipeline of future users.