Australia says the world is likely to follow its sweeping new social media restrictions as Meta begins removing accounts belonging to users under the age of 16. The move comes ahead of the country’s first-of-its-kind law requiring major platforms to block minors from using their services, a measure officials say is necessary to protect children from online harm.
Meta has already started disabling accounts for users aged 13 to 15 across Instagram, Facebook and other platforms. The full ban is set to take effect within days, and other tech giants — including TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube — are expected to comply.
Australian leaders argue the legislation will set a global precedent, claiming other governments are closely watching the rollout. They say the surge in cyberbullying, harmful content, and addictive platform design has made strong action unavoidable.
Supporters of the law believe strict age limits will help curb mental-health issues in adolescents and reduce exposure to dangerous content. They also insist that tech companies should bear greater responsibility for verifying users’ ages and enforcing safety standards.
However, critics warn the policy could backfire by pushing teens toward less regulated spaces or prompting them to use workarounds to bypass restrictions. Some advocates for young people argue that outright bans silence teen voices and overlook the importance of digital education.
Despite the debate, Australia is positioning itself as a global test case for aggressive youth-safety regulation. If the rollout proves effective, officials expect other countries to introduce similar age-based social-media barriers.
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