under-16 restriction

Canberra, December 10, 2025: Australia on Wednesday enforced a landmark nationwide ban on social media use for children under 16, becoming the first country to introduce restrictions of such scale. The decision, widely praised by parents and child-safety advocates, has triggered strong objections from major tech giants and free-speech groups.The new law took effect at midnight and directed ten major platforms, including TikTok, YouTube owned by Alphabet, and Meta’s Instagram and Facebook, to block underage users or face penalties reaching A$49.5 million (USD 33 million). The sweeping reform has quickly drawn global attention as other governments examine the growing risks…