Australia’s world-first social media minimum age law is already showing impact, with more than 4.7 million accounts belonging to under-16s deactivated, removed, or restricted in the days following its introduction on 10 December.
Preliminary analysis from eSafety indicates that age-restricted social media platforms are making meaningful efforts to prevent under-16s from maintaining accounts, as required by the new legislation. The data, part of the first tranche provided to the eSafety Commissioner, highlights early signs that the law is taking effect.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the early results were “encouraging,” adding that “our Government has acted to help keep kids safe online. Change doesn’t happen overnight. But these early signs show it’s important we’ve acted to make this change. We want our kids to have a childhood and parents to know we have their backs.”
The eSafety website has also seen strong engagement, recording more than one million visits since the launch of the social media minimum age education campaign. Families and young people can access information, resources, and guidance through eSafety’s social media age restrictions hub.
Communications Minister Anika Wells described the milestone as “a huge achievement,” noting that “every account deactivated could mean one extra young person with more free time to build their community and identity offline.” She added that while more work remains, the law is already “making a real, meaningful difference,” with the eSafety Commissioner closely monitoring platform compliance.
Support our Journalism
No-nonsense journalism. No paywalls. Whether you’re in Australia, the UK, Canada, the USA, or India, you can support The Australia Today by taking a paid subscription via Patreon or donating via PayPal — and help keep honest, fearless journalism alive.
